Combing everything from break beats to neo-classical influences, woodwind instrumentation and post rock; it’s fair to say that These New Puritans are one of the most innovative British bands for a generation. Formed in 2006 by twin brothers Jack and George Barnett, the Southend-on-Sea have steadily built their cult following amongst discerning listeners and now they are back with their accomplished fourth album ‘Inside The Rose’.
Recorded in Berlin, a city long known for its creative freedom and pioneering forays into the many forms of electronica, the Barnett boys have created an intriguing and lush 40-minute listening containing just nine tracks which unfold in the most wonderfully unexpected way. ‘Beyond Black Suns’ starts with oppressive beats to rise with operatic vocal accompaniment, ‘Where the Trees Are On Fire’ is perhaps Jack’s most natural singing performance and feels like an actor breaking the fourth wall in some haunting musical and ‘Anti-Gravity’ draws on oriental influences for its spacious dark wave synth sound like a lost scrap of soundtrack from Bladerunner.
“My favourite kind of music is very clear but also mysterious at the same time. If you have a strange idea always present it in the clearest possible way. Don’t mess about with pretentious abstract rubbish, that’s the kind of thing we don’t relate to. A lot of the time George takes what I’ve come up with and nudges me in a certain way. Many of the vocals were completely different. The usual thing that would happen was I would play him a vocal that I had recorded, then he would listen to it for ten seconds then press stop and not say anything. And that’s when I knew that it wasn’t quite right and I would go back and do something else. Being brothers and working in music means there are no niceties. We can be absolutely brutal to each other, but in a way. It’s okay because you can’t be sensitive about it, you can’t be precious. You get past all the niceties and you get to the heart of things.” – Jack Barnett
From the new album “INSIDE THE ROSE” Infectious Music . A BMG Company.
The Fat Angel Sings 