Sunday, February 6, 2011

New Politics: Cathartic racket, with sparkle

Don't dirty rockers just make your heart sing?
Accidental Danish band New Politics embodies the nihilistic spirit of grunge, the exuberance of Brit Rock (pop just don't work here) and the kind of teen angst that expresses itself in hidden scars and labial piercings instead of really sleek hairstyles and dark eyeliner. And somehow manages to wrap it up all pretty and presentable. Their choons smack of early Bloc Party and Hard-Fi, with a little Seattle thrown in for good measure.
Made up of David Boyd, Søren Hansen, and Louis Vecchio, New Politics offers an interesting mix of alternative, punk and whiteboy rap a la Chilli Peppers. Alas, the whiteboy rap can get a bit much, and there's just a little too much electro gratuitously thrown in (a tragic sign of the times), but overall the raw, grainy vocals, tinny distortions and catchy rhythms make for some excellent moshy choons, such as the single Yeah Yeah Yeah and the angry Burn.
There are some lighter, more melodic high points on the self-titled début album too. My Love and (the other single) Dignity are two of my favourites; they epitomise a yearning desperation that speaks to the moody teen in each of us. And if you're just looking for something to get yourself going in the morning, Give Me Hope and Die For You will hit the spot.
Diverse, intelligent and oodles of fun, New Politics have made quite a splash internationally since their album dropped in June 2010, playing a few festivals to great responses and playing warm up for 30 Seconds to Mars in September and October of last year. There's little doubt that 2011 will see them rise that much closer to the stars.
New Politics is a name you should start getting used to – it will be uttered in tones of awe and admiration for years to come.

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