| |
|
Originally, I thought this lot were yet another iteration of the "white boys play angular guitars like an apolitical* Gang of Four only not as good". And I do still sort of think that. However, having listened to the self-titled album, I was more than pleasantly surprised: there's a certain identikit-ness to the work, but also (what strikes me as) a pretty innovative use of aggressive vocal harmony and texture, and a really, really good use of "angular guitar sound"(tm) as appropriated from post-punk, but with the authentic atonality that the sanitised modern versions lack. Which is, I suspect, because the record was produced by Andy Gill from Gang of Four. Also, for such a played-out ensemble concept, there's an astonishing energy to all the tracks (I'm thinking particularly of "Carnival Kids" and "Robot") where the superb use of very closely-harmonised, punchy vocals works in counterpoint to the guitar tracks. Having double-checked the lyrical content for hilarious "chav"** references, I was pleasantly surprised - a lot of it seems cleanly simplistic, and some of it has, like, subtext and stuff in a Gang-of-Four-lite way. And there's a cover of Hounds of Love. Which is fantastic. Also a distinct lack of whinging angst and a good deal of musical playfulness.
Basically, it's really enjoyable pop music taking its inspiration from a number of good places, and I think this album, at least, deserves to be seen as separate from the terrifying behemoth that is the Kaiser Franz Arctic Bloc Gestalt Entity.
Am I Wrong? (Translation: I feel a certain amount of creeping unease when I express genuine affection for this music, and I'm not sure whether it's merely associative or something deeper...)
* Apart the from Kaiser Chiefs, who are irredemiable moronism-perpetuating wankers. Which is a political position, right?
**Again, see Kaiser Chiefs. |
|
|
