“So give me bright ideas.“
British punk history sits as a landmark of the 60s, with its history discussed and referenced to near exhaustion. With what followed being a nuanced history of new wave, post-punk and hardcore owes much to what came before. Whilst many artists waver from the path of punk, the UK’s own Hex Poseur stays true to the roots of the genre with her latest EP, Hearsay. Following on from two-part debut EP, Keep It Quiet, what comes now sees a sharpening of the influences and sounds previously explored.
Opening track “Bright Ideas” is a treat of a track, the reverbed and clean guitars building out the atmosphere. Hex‘s beautifully sung vocals layer succinctly with the guitars and the gentle drum groove. A lamenting track filled with a guitar solo and accompanied by hummed vocals completes the gothic element “Bright Ideas” has, becoming something only a few steps away from a Murder By Death track. It’s a surprising and pleasant opener that, once the EP reaches its moments, shows off some of the range Hex can offer up.
What follows continues in expected fashion: rousing lyricism with huge drums and aggressive guitars. Later track “Scum” is a quintessential punk track where the instrumentals dominate. With catchy drum fills scattered across the track, it’s difficult not to get pulled in by the track’s rhythm and have a shimmy. “Gentlemen” offers up some of the EPs best vocal hooks, with the rapid near spoken word style delivery giving flashbacks to Blur’s “Park Life“.
There is a swagger to the EP, especially in the latter half. Closer “Violent Little Things“, with its pacing bassline and pitched guitars, shakes the ear awake to ensure the mind isn’t wandering for the closer. Later moving into the rocking riffs that appear across the EP and matched with a forceful vocal performance, “Violent Little Things” is made for the stage. It’s one where Hex can be seen barking the vocals into a headbanging audience.
It is potentially easy to dismiss a lot of punk as mere throwbacks to a bygone era and explore many of the new shiny genres that emerged over the past few decades and, but Hex Poser has shown that there is still plenty to enjoy when it comes to punk. With a solid performance across the EP and production to match, the bitesized EP is a worthwhile listen for those who have dipped their toes into the genre before. With the variety hinted at in tracks such as “Bright Ideas” and “Gentlemen“, it shows promise that when Hex Poseur heads in the direction of a full-length, it will be one worth visiting.
8/10
Hearsay is out tomorrow via Manic Kat Records.