Album Review: TV Priest // Uppers

Sub Pop Records

Five Stars out of Five

On the debut album from this London four-piece, TV Priest show that they are a force to be reckoned with. Their sound is similar to early new wave bands like The Fall and Gang of Four, or the later Bloc Party. Their thumping rhythm section and sonically distorted guitars make for the perfect background to the frenzied lyrics layered overtop. Singer Charlie Drinkwater's abrasive vocal ramblings walk the line of Mark E Smith's (The Fall) jumbled esoteric rants without biting off the style so much that it seems ingenuine. Tracks like "Slideshow", "This Island" and "Leg Room" (a song about society's obsession with individuality and technology) are bound to make it on your next playlist. In the 24-hour media blitz world we live in, the aptly named TV Priest take their brand of messy tunes and preach to a choir of music fans who were looking for something with the energy of punk, but smart enough that it didn't feel crass.