Algiers / Underside Of Power, The
Album: Underside Of Power, The   Collection:General
Artist:Algiers   Added:Jun 2017
Label:Matador Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2017-07-12 Pull Date: 2017-09-12
Week Ending: Aug 27 Aug 13 Aug 6 Jul 30 Jul 23 Jul 16
Airplays: 1 1 1 1 2 2

Recent Airplay
1. Jun 04, 2020: Stranded at Settembrini's
Cleveland
4. Aug 12, 2017: Music Casserole
The Cycle/The Spiral: Time To Go Down Slowly
2. Oct 12, 2017: All Passion No Technique
The Underside Of Power
5. Jul 31, 2017: deep storage
The Underside Of Power
3. Aug 24, 2017: moodswings
Cry Of The Martyrs
6. Jul 27, 2017: moodswings
The Underside Of Power

Album Review
DJ Away
Reviewed 2017-07-10
The second album from this international, Atlanta-originated quartet (joined not long ago by former Bloc Party drummer Matt Tong) is bracing, intently political, and adventurous rock that weaves together gospel, post-punk, industrial electronica, and drone. Their vocalist Franklin James Fisher sounds like he’s on fire, and his singing vaults between the articulate pathos of ‘60s soul and the raw pain of hardcore. The level of political sophistication and the lack of condescension feels refreshing; their radical outlook is no timely pose, but if their debut in 2015 was pertinent then, their vision’s become only more relevant since. Favorites: 1, 3, 6, 7, 12. No FCCs detected.

1. *(3:11)—Slow, heavy, dramatic trap-noise. Fred Hampton speech clip. Borderline screamed vocals. “We won’t be led to slaughter / this is self-genocide.”
2. (4:04)—Medium-fast, coldwave blended with gospel. Intense group vocals, industrial passages.
3. *(4:13)—Mid-tempo, the single. Droning beginning morphs into an propulsive, upbeat (in relative terms) soul anthem.
4. (4:32)—Mid-tempo, dark, dry, claustrophobic post-punk with ‘80s synths.
5. (3:44)—Slow, foreboding, ‘80s horror soundtrack soul.
6. *(3:35)—Mid-tempo ballad. Pretty, grainy piano. Sad, desolate guitar.
7. *(3:47)—Slow song in tribute to Tamir Rice and against police brutality. Rolling, heavy stutter-step beat. Gospel samples.
8. (2:34)—Fast anti-Trump industrial-punk song. “Don’t feed the animals / they only feign innocence.”
9. (2:53)—Instrumental. Slow, dark, spaced-out industrial techno.
10. (4:11)—Doomy piano loop, ghostly backing vocal. Slow, jazzy second half.
11. (2:26)—Instrumental. Chimes, deep drones, atonal sax, bowed cymbal. Play with next track.
12. *(5:26)—Fast, rolling, Nina Simone-esque rave-up. Long, soft, droning finish.

Track Listing
1. Walk Like A Panther   7. Cleveland
2. Cry Of The Martyrs   8. Animals
3. The Underside Of Power   9. Plague Years
4. Death March   10. Hymn For An Average Man
5. A Murmur. A Sign.   11. Bury Me Standing
6. Mme Rieux   12. The Cycle/The Spiral: Time To Go Down Slowly