Bladderwrack – Sleazy Street (2024)
As if Dickens’ Oliver Twist was merged with Bleak House and Hard Times, the British threesome Bladderwrack encapsulates the rage, angst and distaste of Victorian society pushing it to the present day. Why do I mention Charles Dickens? Well, the mere case that challenging times and desperate social norms transcends generations, artistic inclinations, and is strikingly relevant today as it was in the 1800s. In our 2020 interview with Bladderwrack, the UK-based threesome shared that the music looks at “…news stories featuring foul people and deeds, too many to cover them all…” The latest single ‘Sleazy Street’ ups the ante as protest music that needs to be heard in 2024.
Following Bladderwrack’s 2022 single, ‘Trust In Truss’ (guess what that was about), ‘Sleazy Street’ is another unapologetic scream at the British government. The first single in two years, ‘Sleazy Street’ finds the line between punk and grunge then blurs it. While the pounding drums collide with searing guitars, then slathered with rich punk-driven vocals in distorted angst, the off-kilter tune exudes the arrogance and brashness of punk. Yet, as abrupt and aggressive as it may be, ‘Sleazy Street’ brims with harmonic unity in a shimmering bubble of symphony. The bold guitar solo rings of classic rock, then again it might just be a diversion from the melody’s vintage punk ferocity.
The melody has a “punch in the gut, slap across the face” abrasiveness, but it is the lyricism that makes liberal hearts soar. A tirade of truthful insults eloquently depicting odious occurrences, Bladderwrack simultaneously doesn’t hold back in the punkish style and retains a toe-tapping sound. In a fun fact, Bladderwrack declares “The Tories brought the election forward when they heard about this album’s planned release in September. In response, Bladderwrack brought forward this single release…” – possibly true? All I know is it’s damn good music that would more than likely have the British government squirming.
In addition to the single, Bladderwrack released an official music video for ‘Sleazy Street’. You can view the video below or on their YouTube channel. Please note that this video uses lighting effects that can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED
Find out more about Bladderwrack on their official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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