ALBUM REVIEW: Girls In Synthesis – The Rest Is Distraction
It’s no coincidence that the triple whammy of Brexit, Boris Johnson, and Donald Trump has inspired a disenchanted legion of artists and musicians. These are artists that are channeling their anger into a positive energy—to paraphrase a certain John Lydon—while creating some of the most organic, distinctive, and ultimately brutal music unleashed this century.
Indeed, it begs the question: what exactly is punk rock in 2022? Particularly now that it’s easily accessible to buy a Ramones T-shirt in Top Shop without knowing all the words to ‘Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue.’ It’s difficult to pinpoint when punk became a fashion accessory, but the past decade has rekindled its original flame somewhat and Girls In Synthesis are a by-product of the times.
This album isn’t for the faint-hearted—each of its 11 pieces packs several uppercuts to the gut and rib area respectively, leaving no holds barred at any point. Decidedly angry and rightly so, Girls In Synthesis sound like people you would want to avoid, mainly because one wouldn’t want to get in their way. Meaning business from the outset, spitting polemic after polemic on the guttural ‘Arterial Movements’ before ‘Pressure’—which could be a late period Crass outtake—kicks against the pricks and some.
Recent single ‘The Images Agree’ takes aim at the lies politicians tell, while ‘They’re Not Listening’ and ‘Human Frailty’ speak for themselves. In amongst the melee there’s some incredible musicianship, particularly on the epic ‘Set Up to Fail,’ which fuses jazz style interludes while referencing Buzzcocks (‘Boredom’) and Sex Pistols (‘Anarchy in the U.K.’) in its make-up.
Finishing on the ferocious ‘Tirades of Hate and Fear,’ Girls In Synthesis take dissonance to a whole new level. This isn’t River Island Rebellion. These songs are the real deal. Vive la revolution!
The Rest Is Distraction is OUT NOW!
