These New Puritans suddenly grabbed everyone’s attention back in 2010 with Hidden, a record where Jack Barnett’s mysterious chants and old-timey melodies tangled with George’s thunderous drumming.
The group’s sound has zigzagged since then, sometimes channeling moody vibes like Talk Talk or Depeche Mode, especially on tracks like Crooked Wing. Their latest release, which features Caroline Polachek on the dramatic “Industrial Love Song,” jumps between beautiful, soft, huge, and sometimes just plain weird. George described it best: “Jack on a piano, me smashing the living daylights out of some drums.”
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Home Is Where: Hunting Season [Wax Bodega]
Home Is Where started out with wild, energetic hardcore and, if anything, they’re even more flexible now. Their third album, Hunting Season, came together when Bea MacDonald was missing home and listening to Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers reminded her of it. The songs might sound a bit looser and scruffier than before, but don’t worry—they still rock out hard, kind of like taking a wild road trip with your friend hanging out the window waving a machete.
Fans sometimes wish they could join that kind of adventure.
It’s funny how music can make you feel like you’re somewhere else, even if you’re just sitting on your bedroom floor.
