Priests // Seduction of Kansas

Sister Polygon

4/5 Stars

There's a term out there that roughly means something like "sucker" or an "easy target," someone who is unaware of any behind the scenes agreements, this "mark" thinks what is happening is real. And even from the first notes of this record, boy, am I ever a mark for The Seduction of Kansas. If you are the kind of person who liked Le Tigre more than Bikini Kill, pick up this record right now. You won't be disappointed. If you loved Priests' 2017 watershed album Nothing Feels Natural, then things might be a little different. The raw, trebly, post-punk aggression and danger of that record has morphed into something new and … well, danceable. The metaphor of Kathleen Hanna's oeuvre certainly holds up in those respects, with Kansas relying much more heavily on synths and programmed drum sounds, serving up a post-electroclash offering. While it wears its politics and pretensions on its sleeve — in an almost welcoming, albeit mildly cringe-worthy way — this classic sophomore effort is more easily digestible than its predecessor. — Nick Warren