These New Puritans are a distinctly uncommercial act. They have a pretty challenging sound, you can’t really dance to them and it is next to impossible to hear what front man Jack Barnett is singing. The songs don’t have any identifiable verse/chorus structure and there is often little in the way of a melody, so seeing them live is a slightly daunting prospect.
We arrived late at the venue, just in time for the last song of the LoneLady set. It sounded pretty good, and I was very glad to hear a Pylon influence in her sound. There was then a pretty lengthy gap before the headliners hit the stage. First of the 5 piece woodwind and brass ensemble played (slightly off key it was observed) an instrumental lead-in to the band hitting the stage to perform their recent single, and best song of the night, ‘We Want War’ (see a performance of the track at Maida Vale below). It is a pretty intense sound and unlike any other band around right now.
These New Puritans
The band has the look of a Factory records act circa 1980. Skinny pale faced young men and a dark haired keyboard playing girl. Their sound has a dark starkness to it that also fits in with the early Manchester sound. Perhaps Southend-On-Sea has a similar bleakness to the post-industrial north.
The strongest part of their sound is some pretty impressive drumming. When both drummers play together it is a big hard hitting driving sound that almost buries some of the more subtle elements of the instrumentation and electronics. To me it was most reminiscent of the Butthole Surfers at their peak, a kind of industrial Burundi beat. My partner compared the drums to Genesis which, despite some accuracy, would probably be a less appealing comparison for the band. The Phil Collins comparisons, gladly, ended there.
The band mixed in some songs from their debut but the gig wisely focussed on the songs from their Hidden album, taking full advantage of the wind section and the albums atmospheric qualities. It was a very strong and fascinating set and comparisons are very difficult to make. There is a clear minimalist Steve Reich influence, but they have a very individual sound which is amazingly mature for such a young band. I can’t think of any other act which has bassoon parts at the lead.
The bands main weakness is in the lack of identifiable songs. The tracks seemed to merge into one as the evening went on and it is difficult to get that attached to them. Their sound is a cold one and they would benefit from some warmth and in their music. The other problem is Barnett’s voice. His singing is very thin and disappears amongst the intense drama of the drums and horns.
However, despite these flaws, they are definitely a band to watch. I’m very intrigued in seeing how they develop. With a bit of refinement to their sound they could be a very interesting proposition and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them high up a festival bill in the coming years.
7/10
By Dorian Rogers
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