Modern Art - Strangeways
By Eli Andrew
Garage-punk fun from the Kent five piece, ‘Modern Art’ explores the hyper-modern etiquette around social media profiles and internet stalking.
Reminiscent of The Clash’s ‘Lost in the Supermarket’ in style and tempo, but with more jagged guitar work and Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks-style vocals. It’s garage rock with 80s post-punk influences. The wit and frankness of Paul Weller can be found in the lyrics, with the heavy grooves of the bass and drums similar to the Stranglers. Frontman Tom Turner’s delivery is a snarling British blend of Johnny Rotten with the glitzy showmanship of Marc Bolan.
The track delves into the curated nature of social media profiles, how we treat our online personas almost as artistic representations. How we can effortlessly find out so much about someone online, most of us providing this info freely. The single artwork depicts an ominous figure, hunched, looking into a woman’s bedroom window. On her bed is a mobile phone. Perhaps she played an unwitting part in the silhouette’s appearance.
‘Modern Art’ picks up in flair and flamboyance as it swaggers to a close, snarls turning to call and response chants and drums clattering to an apex as Strangeways close out 2024 in style.