Protomartyr
Under Colour of Official Right
Hardly Art
This is the second album from Protomartyr. 14 songs that emanate a post punk riff based sound. There’s touches of the Fall, Wire and maybe even Television but with a garagey background. Amongst it all is the baritone voice of Joe Casey. it doesn’t quite have the sneer of Mark E Smith or the dourness of Ian Curtis but Caseys voice has that almost monotone aspect. It provides the low in the mix accompaniment to the post punk guitar riffs. The 14 tracks all told take up 35 minutes there or thereabouts so you’re getting short sharp missives. At times the intstruments go off on a different journey to the voice in the songs, feeling like they are the speeding car as the pedestrian vocals walks along but they both reach their destination together. Although with tracks like Son of Dis or Scum, Rise! they motor together nicely. There are tunes at times, namely I stare at floors as Casey almost breaks his sneer to accompany the chords
Protomartyr wouldn’t have been out of place in Futurama festival of the late 70’s and early 80’s in Leeds. They could be from a northern english industrial town but instead it is the industrial heartland of Detroit that gave them their upbringing. It’s not going to be a record that brings smiles to your face but when that rain is falling this will sum up one of those days.
Track By Track
Maidenhead – indie jangle
Ain’t So Simple – maybe Joy Division post punk with a simple guitar riff and drum beat
Want Remover – heaview garage feel but still the baritone voice
Trust Me Billy – wire feel based on guitar riff,
Pagans – heavier song blasts off while vocals low in the mix playing catch up. The song is like the speeding car as the pedestrian walks along but they both reach their destination together
What the Wall Said – SLower trundling along, Fall vibe
Tarpeian ROck – spoken word
Bad Advice – stop start
Son of Dis – faster music whilst the voice almost breaks into a sweat, more sung than other songs
Scum, Rise! – garagey feel, more song like structure
I Stare At Floors – more chords than riffs
Come and See – a touch of elctro in parts, maybe Futurama fare
Violent – great vocal interaction
I’ll Take that Applause – reminds me of Wolfhounds
niallhope
