If I thought I could detect the echoes of The Stranglers dark sneer working its way through “Ladyhammer,” Noise Factory United’s previous single, this time out, reference points are harder to pinpoint, at least until you have lived with the song for a few spins. Quite a few… But that is fine, the less readily comparisons come to mind, the further out into the realms of individuality a band is, which can only be a good thing.
It is fair to say that “Fractures” is a very British sound, perhaps reminiscent of the music made in the wake of the likes of Crass, only lyrically a more poetic and purposeful take on the same agit-prop style, and musically benefitting from better recording technology to fill out the sound. Although if you rewind the clock a few years, bands such as Magazine at their most raw and Television’s frenzied energy also make useful markers. And there is the echo of another band, perhaps more in spirit than sonic similarity, eating at my mind, but I can’t quite put my finger on it! Bear with me!
But I am not here to reminisce, I’m here to promote…and “Fractures” is precisely what we need more of. It is punky without resorting to cliche, punky in spirit, not in the sense of fashion or genre. It is big and bombastic but also cleverly wrought, ornate, and intricate. And it has something to say, something about late-capitalist alienation, state inertia, and the hollow promises of consumer culture. You know, all the fun stuff!
And if that sounds a bit earnest and full of itself, you can just dance to it, although there are a few passages that will require moments of pause and some fancy footwork. It’s bass grooves, the guitars howl at the moon, and the synths smooth the edges; the barked vocal becomes a smoother, sung chorus, and if you find yourself despairing because you can relate to the message, then at least you can dance yourself silly and forget about it.
I’ve put my finger, tentatively, on that missing reference. The Fall? Blimey!
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