Noise Factory United - Exit the Gyroscope, Unveil the Anthropocene (self-released)

It is my humble opinion that music should have something to say. Even if it is as simple as “have a good time” or “don’t be a dick”, if you have been afforded a platform from which to broadcast a thought or idea to the masses, as music makers generally are, then it is a dereliction of duty not to give the world at large something to think about or at least to respond to.

This is something that Noise Factory United obviously understands, and their latest single, “Exit the Gyroscope, Unveil the Anthropocene,” is all about the big questions. Now, I’m not entirely sure what the title means. Still, the message is clear: “If we are so free, how can we be heading inexorably towards the ecological abyss?” Or put another way, if we are free to choose the life we want, how come we have chosen the slow and painful death of the only planet that we have only ever been able to call home?

They offer us this complex point of discussion over a post-punk soundscape, one that takes the vibe of dark, alt-rock, a gothic sense of drama, and no small amount of alt-pop infectiousness and reverse engineers them into a cool, slightly nostalgic sound.

But the message is not all doom and gloom, and the answer might be right above our heads. Referencing the recent satire on an end-of-the-world scenario, they suggest we Do Look Up. Do the planets and stars above hold the key? Is it time to leave this spinning ball and usher in a new era, one that is defined by the actions of the human race? Our turn to say, “So long, and thanks for all the…beef?”

(Ahh, now the title makes sense. Sorry, I was a bit slow on the uptake; I’m just a music writer, not a rocket surgeon.)

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