More about: Working Men's Club

Working Men’s Club depict the current state of the world through youthful eyes. Everything’s gone to shit and we don’t know how to react...so why not embrace the chaos? They’re a band that have been on the tip of everyone's tongues for a while now, whether that be for the eclecticism of their live performances, or the sheer madness of their music. On their self-titled debut the Yorkshire group take us through a vast soundscape of flailing-arm inducing, raving madness with just the right amount of post-punk masterfully sprinkled in. 

In recent times, Working Men’s Club have had a drastic change in style. What was once a dark and brooding guitar band is now an inflamed synth-punk outfit who dish out social commentaries and witty lyrics like there's no tomorrow. (We’re looking at you ‘Cook a Coffee’). The one thing that's remained the same is frontman Sydney Minsky-Sargeant: the only remaining member of the band's original lineup. It just goes to show that sometimes, change is for the better.

Opener ‘Valleys’ throws us straight in at the deep end. A pounding drum machine helps to guide us on this track's mesmerising sonic journey. There’s so much going on but it never feels cluttered, each element has its place and nothing overpowers. ‘John Cooper Clarke’ embodies the signatures of electronic music gone by, giving it a lovely New Wave twist. “We dance and we smile” sings Minksy-Sargeant towards the track's end, before finishing off with “we live and we die”, which fades into the tracks energetic closing moments, leaving us alone with our thoughts.

‘Outside’ is perhaps the most subdued on the album. Diaphanous vocals take the place of the harsher sounds found elsewhere on the record, and airy keys float between the odd pairing of jarring synths and soothing guitar strums, peaceful and poignant. This peace is instantly curtailed as the following track ‘Be My Guest’ begins. A manic fusion of industrial noise and siren rhythms combat the distilled nature of the previous track. This sudden switch in sound between songs is Working Men’s Club to a T. There’s no desired sound: it’s a beautiful disarray.

Working Men’s Club need to be listened to. They offer a vital escape into the unusual, acting as an ecstatic placeholder in a world where we often (ok, always) need to get away. They let us know that it’s not just us who feel like we’re getting tucked up in bedlam: everyone does...and now we’re being heard.

Working Men's Club is out now. 

More about: Working Men's Club