So you want something new, something different. You’re tired of listening to the same old chords every time. These New Puritans do things differently. It’s sharp, angular pop that takes risks.
The band from the faded seaside resort of Southend-On-Sea takes a very experimental approach to making pop music. Everything goes, nothing’s sacred. Songs don’t have to follow strict verse-chorus-verse rules. Lyrics can be sung or shouted or both, preferably a bit of both and intermittently.
Most contemporary pop is anchored to a fat rhythm section, so even if there’s a bit of freaky noise on the top you have the ‘boom, boom’ holding it all together. The Puritans largely make do with a sharp, metallic snare drum and brittle bass. There is no fat foundation to this music. Everything’s up in the air, swirling, crashing and interweaving.
Most of all, you’ll notice the restless energy of These New Puritans. Everything is urgent and everything happens now. There’s no time to file off the sharp spikes of improvisation. And out of the chaos emerges infectious, uplifting music.
The band has been going for almost two years at this stage, but their new single ‘Swords Of Truth’ is really pulling their sound together. Immerse yourself into the Puritan’s whirlpool and see if you can get something out of it.
Watch These New Puritans On YouTube
The Puritan’s uncompromising approach has already attracted attention among more liberal thinking musicians. Timothy Goldsworthy, one half of hip New York label DFA Records, has remixed ‘Navigate, Navigate’ for the flipside of the 12″ version of ‘Swords Of Truth’. Goldsworthy’s remix is a frantic bass run that goes on for 12 minutes with vocal phrases piled on top of each other. A total genius party record.
Readers from the UK and Ireland, Download ‘Swords Of Truth’ and ‘Navigate, Navigate’ from iTunes UK. We don’t charge any extras, just pay the regular iTunes Store price.
