Track of the Day: Twisted Ankle – Team Building
Combining elements of punk rock, post-punk, metal and alternative rock, Twisted Ankle is a melodious bash to the cerebellum. With macabre humour and engaging lyrics, the UK-based trio has been sharing their unique sound since 2014. Featured on radio stations and blogs across the globe, the group is building a loyal following on an international scale. The latest addition to their repertoire is the album Twisted Ankle, and off this album, we have ‘Team Building’.
Penned long before the Covid-19 lockdown began, ‘Team Building’ is one of the heavier tracks off their self-titled album. Not ones to draw away from controversial topics, Twisted Ankle tackle issues of capitalism, sociopolitical crises, consumer culture and commitment to mind-numbing convention. With each track underlying “the collective madness of a society slowly eating itself”, Twisted Ankle are able to grab your attention using their humorous, witty and tongue-in-cheek music.
While all of the tracks on Twisted Ankle are engrossing, it is ‘Team Building’ that stood out among the rest, at least for me. Coming in at only one-and-a-half minutes, ‘Team Building’ is an abrupt onslaught of dynamic instrumentation coupled with witty lyricism. Showcasing their experimental side, Twisted Ankle merge punk with grunge in this track incorporating distorted guitars, pounding drums and brash vocals. Yet, it is this brusqueness that so eloquently captures the sordid essence of the context.
At first glance, the song appears straightforward, harmless and amusing; however, the dark humour incited in the spoken word narrative leans toward the cheekier side of office interaction. The upbeat “team motivation” tone invokes that teamwork sentiment, but the actual lyrics are a testament to the seediness moving about the back of your brain. Packed with raw honesty, ‘Team Building’ is an insight into the grotesque workings of a downtrodden cog in the capitalistic feeding machine.
For more from Twisted Ankle, check out their Facebook, Bandcamp and Spotify.
