I am always intrigued by contemporary music duos, from the left-of-centre approach of Sparks to the well-studied commercial ethos of the Pet Shop Boys, right the way through to the electronic bliss of Orbital and the inexplicably brilliant Bob Vylan. I even love the genius of Laurel and Hardy, and they did make a great record with The Trail of the Lonesome Pine. I’ve heard samples of this Stan Laurel-instigated chain dropped into drum ’n’ bass and industrial sets to great effect. There’s something about two minds thrashing out a sound bed of delights with little interruption from a compounding consortium. I’m tempted to mention Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford of Squeeze, or even Lennon and McCartney, the truly inspired protagonists linked to celebrated catalogues that resonate with a wide and diverse audience to this very day.

Coming in from a place loaded with dark matter and, at times, an off-the-wall observational libretto, Bad Sam are a great example of a duo who mean serious business. Before listening to this album, I took a deep dive into the back catalogue of this rather brilliant surrealist outfit. On this album, it does not elude me that the writers and purveyors of chaos, Dean Bessie and Richard Glover, are the atmosphere-led protagonists of post-industrial Grit-Pop, purveyors of pentatonic twists that take you down dark corridors in order to meet a plethora of contagious ear-worms, sometimes lined with thought-provoking terror and underpinned by thought-provoking hooks. It’s a Pandora’s box full of scintillating surprises, augmented by a perplexing vortex of analogue guitars, savvy samples and vivaciously delivered, vibrant vocals.

I am reminded of Public Image Ltd., Chem Lab, The Snivelling Shits, Psychic TV, Wire and The Fall, without for a second suggesting that this gruesome twosome were immediately influenced by the aforementioned. Let’s take a deep dive into this endearing and, at times, uncomfortable listen.

Emotional Hostage

It kicks off with Emotional Hostage, and I was indeed held hostage from top to bottom. In fact, I listened to it four times and was really taken by the dramatic vocal style and the bombastic, multi-layered backing track that has a lot going on, yet creates a lot of space for the clever plethora of rhyming couplets that certainly create ambiguous imagery that held me to my seat.

Pedigree Poor

Next up is the brilliant Pedigree Poor, with its cross-references to fake news and cynical political policies. There is certainly an element of ambiguity in the lyrics, but a left-side view seems to be an apparent leaning in this crucial earworm of a tune.

The Van

The Van, replete with sirens and drum loops that remind me of Ministry meets The Grid, if that’s possible, has a sense of urgency and bombastic, chaotic bliss. Another winner that somehow defies immediate categorisation, taking you through a mirror of emotions with its pounding street rhythms and clear-cut, angst-orientated vitriolic vocals against a vortex of venomous buzz-saw guitars triggered by terrifying Tube Screamers and raucous Rat pedals. This tension-building slice of dramatic art is short, sweet and to the point. I get an intuitive inclination that this mighty fine, tub-thumping melee of musical energy could be a hit coming through from alternative radio in Germany or via the eclectic playlists emanating from the college radio circuit in America. I listen to the output of KXLU FM in Los Angeles all the time and would hope an imprint like this would embrace this colloidal content with open arms and continual great spins.

The Monsters Dance

Next up, we get the brilliantly entitled The Monsters Dance. It has the immediacy of The Prodigy, the syntax of Public Enemy on shrooms and a curious 808 handclap affair. Although this initially appears incongruous to the plot, it actually adds a light texture to a track that would not sound out of place in a Troma B-Movie. I could imagine this catalogue being exploited in the weird and wonderful world of sync.

[Untitled Track – PIL-Esque]

The next tune is the one that really reminds me of a Public Image Limited excursion, especially with the lyrical intonation and the mega-phonic EQs perfectly placed on the vocals for maximum dramatic effect. The production on this track is absolutely flawless, with lots of stops and starts and a three-dimensional approach to the mixing.

Popcorn and Blood

Popcorn and Blood has a Beastie Boys-type rap style approach and, although carefully ambiguous in the lyric department, gets you thinking whilst tapping your toes to the incessant beats and simple but effective power chords.

Perpetual Consumption

Perpetual Consumption is yet another brilliant belter, replete with savage guitar parts reminiscent of past masters such as Magazine, The Circle Jerks and Bikini Kill wrapped into one, but from a post-Anarcho-Punk perspective on mind-bending microdots washed down with Peyote-laced tequila.

Turn You Off

Turn You Off provides a Punk-addled wall of sound with its incessant riffing, pounding perplexing drums and well-placed drops that add to the theatrical effect. It’s great that this group have a propensity for creating two and three minute tracks that have the effect of a short, sharp shock.

Salute the Media

Another winner, Salute the Media, somehow reminds me of Pavement in the backing-track department. The more conventional guitar motives could almost be classified as mainstream if it wasn’t for the menacing voice that plays out on the offbeat, counterpointing the unlikely styles gleaned in this odyssey of a track.

Tupperware Death Party

Tupperware Death Party is a great way to end the musical journey. Sounding like the Sex Pistols on steroids and carried forward to the fast-food generation, it has a Speed-Metal quality that makes one quite literally shiver and shake. There is a metallic Slayer-like quality to this body of work, and it’s a great way to end an excursion into musical experimentation that would make Krautrock exponents Faust, Neu! and early incarnations of Kraftwerk feel as proud as punch.

Grit-Pop indeed… Bring it on!

Trauma is out now on vinyl, CD and digital formats via Property Of The Lost Records

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