The Pop
Group – Citizen Zombie
LP/CD/DL
23 February
2015
Pioneering
post-punk band regroup for a new album.
Much has
been said about the new album from The Pop Group and the incredibly well publicised
Citizen Zombie. Their first album in
thirty-five years since 1980s We Are Time will finally see the light of
day. Probably unknown by a generation,
they have become influential with their unique brand of punk meets jazz meets
funk, and for some may only be known for a We Are All Prostitutes (their debut
single with Rough Trade) t-shirt being worn in an episode of the TV series
Ashes To Ashes.
With all the
hype of such a record comes the inevitable dissections and appraisals, and the
comforting thing for The Pop Group should be that they have created a fantastic
monster. Good grief, Citizen Zombie is
good!
For anyone
not hearing The Pop Group before you’ll have never have witnessed anything like
it. Perhaps hints at its style will have
been found in the past work of leader Mark Stewart whose superb releases for On
U-sound (check out Jerusalem – genius) and his unbelievably brilliant Politics
Of Envy and Exorcism Of Envy albums continue to enthral and amaze.
Opening with
the title track the album can be no-one else.
Trademark strained vocals and screams, throbbing bass, manic percussion
and screeching guitars power through one of the most incredible starts to an
album you will ever hear. “You’ve got
that brainwashed look of an alien abductee”.
Bring it on
New single
Mad Truth sees the band delve into a funk-punk and despite its predictable
rawness, brings one hell of a catchy tune.
How fabulous it wold be to see this roar up the charts! Female backing vocals help to reduce the edge
and its one hell of a toe-tapper.
Absolutely incredible stuff.
Re-visiting
the punk spirit, The Pop Group show the kids of today how it’s done. No inhibitions, no rules, no-one telling them
what to do or how to do it, they have pulled off one of the finest albums for
many a year. Under the fine production
of Paul Epworth, a fan of the group himself, they have carved and lovingly
crafted a mini-masterpiece.
Through the
subtleness of Nowhere Girl to the bass funk of S.O.P.H.I.A. to the chaos of Box
9 they challenge everything that has ever gone before, chew it up and spit it
all back again. “Have the created a
monster?” – damn right they have.
The
restraint of Nations where three minutes of wonderful speech are performed over
a continuous synth backing provides an interlude before quite literally into
St. Outrageous. Off-key notes? Possibly, but who gives an airborne intercourse? Stewart certainly doesn’t.
Closing with
Echelon, a piano led militarian theme is as close as The Pop Group will get to
beautiful and as close to a perfect ending album you will this side of
Bristol. Have they made a classic? Probably.
Now can we
have Citizen Dub please?
9.5/10
Links
The Pop Group website
The Pop Group on Twitter
The Pop Group on Facebook
Exorcism Of Envy album review
9.5/10
Links
The Pop Group website
The Pop Group on Twitter
The Pop Group on Facebook
Exorcism Of Envy album review
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