Punk, perhaps more than any other genre, has always run on the mantra of “be true to yourself.” Sure, you find such an attitude running through all and every creative discipline, to some degree, but no one seemed to wear such an ideal so openly on their sleeve as the punks, reminding us that the movement was as much about personal identity, freedom, and not letting the world around you force you to compromise, as it was about the music being made. Don’t let the bastards grind you down, as the saying went. It was true way back when, and it is still true today. Hour of Pearl has even written their own sonic affirmation of such core tenets.
They take the metaphor of the titular “Dead Mohawk” as a reminder that when you start changing who you are, fall in line, blend in, join the pack, then perhaps it is time for a reappraisal of how you are living your life.
And this idea they put to a raw and raucous salvo of low-slung, fist-in-the-air, foot-on-the-monitor anthem for authenticity, a rumbling roar of guitars, depth charge bass sonics, pounding drums, and shout-it-from-the-rooftops vocals. A couple of changes of pace push the urgency and the energy to new heights, and then …boom! It’s done, delivered its point, made its presence felt, and gone out with a bang!
As true a sonic statement as it ever was, timeless and, perhaps, also timely considering we seem increasingly being cowed and corralled into notions of conformity and comfort zones. Well, not Hour of Pearl! You don’t have to smash the system, but it is a lot of fun being a thorn in its backside!
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