"Post-punk, much like its more anarchic mother, for me, has always been a relatively boring genre – unless you’re able to identify with the contextual complexities and socio-political derision that surrounded its original inception.
in a society, which, up until recently, has been comparatively free from the political iron-fists of the ‘80s, there has been little reason for english kids to kick against the so-called ‘pricks’. however, in my last three years spent in london, i’ve never seen so many sweet and tender hooligans trying to pin the metaphorical middle finger towards an evil that barely even exists.
i’m not the first to state that there are way too many bands taking an angular approach to their music, and this is probably a measure of the monotony of garbage that is being churned out of east london at the moment.
semblances and nods towards the genre’s consummately developing influence are great artery when done well – take these new puritans’ piece of sonic perfection in the form of beat pyramid – for example. but you can’t just churn out mindless trollop and label it industrial or post-punk like the recent trend tends to curtail today.
it’s a strange thing to see kids living in self-induced poverty ‘cos they think they’re an ambiguous hybrid of bowie and reed living in ‘70s berlin. it’s even more worrying when you see bands who were born in the ‘90s listing karl marx or franz kafka in their well of influences – it’s nearly 2011.
lofty alignments with political and musical theorems of the past have only encouraged trend-journalism to mistake unintentional and often misguided notes of nihilism for examples of intelligence and anti-political fragment from bands who are simply prodding around in the dark in hope of creating something ‘special’.
don’t fear though, halfway through this incoherent rant on the landscape of post-punk reincarnate, i think i may have found a band that’ll make me wrap each and every one of my own little words into christmas-sized treats that i can shove back down my throat with as much pleasure as they were originally spewed out. behold, wildlife.
for a start, these are a relatively normal group of kids, who, using the guise of post-punk have developed a neat sound that nods more to the work of the dead kennedys than the hazy and ambiguous works of the stranglers. none have studied a bizarre blend of political or social science, nor do they list the scum manifesto or the cross of lorraineas as influences on their work.
but, what they do well is to explore real concerns in modern times; forget all preening cathartic cliché and delve into the troubled minds of four young men from the doldrums of middle england – that’s if you can even get a copy of their music, though.
shrouded in secrecy, the cynic in me would say their clandestine approach to recording smacks of a pretentious marketing campaign, but having seen them live the reality suggests more of band who do things in their own, fumbling time zone.
from the limited recordings available you can come to expect a journey through themes centring on the imprisoning nature of the home, dashes of domestic violence and a lot of pent-up anger. it’s fucking scary, but in a refreshing way.
for me, the intriguing tale of your average man making music is exciting enough, but it’s not half as intriguing as the notions that are left swirling around in the muddy backwaters of your brain once you’ve finished listening to them play. if you’re lucky enough to get the chance – you have to see them live, it’s by far the best way to experience it."
