Heave Media

The Beat Is On

These New Puritans succeed to annoy rather than engage.

These New Puritans

Beat Pyramid

Released on Nov 30, -0001

I was told by reliable sources that I should like this band. As a life-long Anglophile and one to be respectful of The Royal Family, (however inbred they may be), I was told that These New Puritans were a fresh and engaging combination of all things influenced by Wire, The Fall and Gang Of Four. These three pioneering bands seem to be tossed about a lot lately in reviews. I have yet to find any modern bands that actually capture their spirit, and unfortunately These New Puritans come close only a few times on their debut Beat Pyramid.

The greatness of bands like Gang Of Four and Wire were their ability to make one dance, scream, stomp their feet, start a band and actually sing along to their songs. TNP's hearts are in the right places, but they just succeed to annoy rather than engage the listener. The repetition of lyrics, "gabber" style break beats and electronic gurgles makes one wonder if lead singer Jack Barnett had ten too many Red Bulls and misplaced his bottle of Adderall.

Despite the wealth of skippable tracks, Beat Pyramid does have its possible pop gems. "Swords Of Truth" is a Prodigy meets Rocky Balboa dance track suitable for fans of M.I.A.'s first album. "Dopplegaanger" is a subdued number and could even be considered a ballad amongst the more scattered and confused tracks. "Elvis" is the lead off single and definite shining moment for this debut. It should be noted that the song is made even better by watching the video along with it. I'm not sure if they were using an actual centrifuge or Mother's vacuum cleaner, but "Elvis" is an eerie yet sophisticated glimpse into what TNP's are capable of. Take away all the clutter, all the "angular" posturing and all the repetition and These New Puritans would still have the desire and ability to make an album that people would want to visit again and again and again and again.

High Point: "Elvis" is Mission Of Burma meets Test Icicles - fury driven fun!

Low Point: "Costume" is the last and worst track, possibly phoned in from a flooded basement.

Quick Point: High hopes for their second time around, just lose the baggage.

Posted by Joe Roth on Apr 15, 2008 @ 12:00 am