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Album Review

These New Puritans
Hidden Domino Records/ Angular Recordings

Article written by Ged M - Feb 2, 2010

These New Puritans: Hidden

“Indie” is probably the least appropriate term ever to describe the second album by These New Puritans. Hidden kicks off with a woodwind overture, employs classical musicians and a children’s choir as well as Japanese taiko drums, African thumb pianos and electronic programming, and barely features a guitar (instead, rhythmic percussion underpins the album). It integrates the spirits of Steve Reich, Benjamin Britten and M.I.A, and credits works by Sir Edward Elgar and Richard Rodney Bennett . As a relief from the seemingly endless production line of guitar indie bands (with whom TNP were once lumped) it’s very welcome. So far, two cheers – it’s surprising and provocative. But what it seems to lack is tunes. Where their first album had tunes but the ideas behind them were a bit superficial, Hidden is big on classical, choral and “world music” ideas but it creates sombre and ominous moods (like the imperious ‘We Want War’) rather than tunes. ‘White Chords’ is an exception, a minimalist piece that sprouts colourful pop blooms in the chorus, but elsewhere these compositions are almost modern classical pieces where certain motifs resonate across individual tracks. It’s an ambitious and a bit pretentious record but it has an unusual depth and the orchestra and choir provide moments of heart-stopping grandeur. I like some elements of the record; I have reservations about others; but it challenged me like most independent music does only rarely.

Links:
http://www.thesenewpuritans.com/
http://www.dominorecordco.com/artists/these-new-puritans/
http://www.myspace.com/thesenewpuritans