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Album Review

The Vichy Government
Coventry self-released

Article written by Ged M - Apr 25, 2011

You know that their fourth album follows the same format as the previous three as soon as you hear the opening line: “their cocks are glistening with pre-cum”. Like before, it’s Andrew Chilton’s Soft-Cell-ular synth tones backgrounding Jamie Manners’ uncomfortably biting satire.

It’s less attention grabbing than Selfish Cunt but has a similar intent, with supersmart putdowns of everything from globalisation to UK culture and the inherent fascism of revolutionary struggle. From Harare to Pyongyang, East London to 19th century Siberia, no-one escapes an acid attack, which might be a little wearing at times but the effect is countered by the smartness of the lyrics. ‘Iberia’ is a blackly funny tale of a volunteer for Franco (“an Ulsterman redeems himself through acts of violence”) and ‘I’m Jack’ tells the seedy story of a pimp/ killer set to a quick Suicide-al beat.

The most memorable track isn’t one of their own songs, although you couldn’t call it the writer’s any longer either, given the Vichy Government’s disrespectful, highly original, treatment of ‘All The Young Dudes’. Like Banksy re-imagining an old master, they take Bowie’s (and Mott’s) bare bones – the riff is still there as a synthetic horn-parp - and cut it up severely, adding new ideas and a snatch of Withnail and I dialogue. It just reinforces that this is situationalist art-rock, owing as much to a John Heartfield collage as it does to any musical tradition. It’s provocative and admirable, and occasionally repulsive, but it’s never dull. Shoreditch art-whores should drag their attention from what’s the latest gallery buzz and give this a spin.

Links:
http://www.thevichygovernment.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thevichygovernment