EP Review: Public Body - 'Flavour of Labour'
Public Body’s brand new EP is a five track counting work of chaotic post punk. Flavour of Labour’ was released digitally as well as on 12” vinyl via Six Tonnes De Chair Records!
Its title gives away what inspired the Brighton-based post punk group to write their latest release, ‘Flavour of Labour’ talks about different themes such as terrible jobs, financial struggles, and describes social observations. It is the to the point lyricism that had me hooked to Public Body’s sound and style, add some guitar licks, swinging synths and pounding drums and you’ve got a mix of punk, garage and math rock that is vigorous and thrilling!
Their EP was recorded at Echo Zoo studios and opens with the eccentric ‘Formica’, we can hear the influences of bands such as FEET (who producer and guitarist Theo Verney previously worked with), Squid and Sports Team. Those influences are reflected in the spoken vocals and fast paced soundscapes consisting of weird elements and rambling guitars! Their sound is an organised mess, a chaotic blend of effects and noise, yet catchy and repetitive like a mantra which makes their songs, such as ‘Flavour of Labour’, so easy to get addicted to! When working forty-odd hours in shitty call centre jobs, it’s barely possible to feel good when you arrive home after work, which is what inspired vocalist and guitarist Seb Gilmore to write a song… Or ten.
Previously released singles ‘Hard To Concentrate’ and ‘Reset My Password’ are a breath of fresh air, a spacious sound that is fast paced and listens like a double shot of caffeine without having the jitters afterwards. These guitar-driven punk rock tracks are exactly what we need after a long day of work, feeling heard and understood and no longer so alone in leading a shitty work life. The agitation comes to life in their carefully crafted sounds and soundscapes, about the inspiration behind ‘Reset My Password’ and the situation at the height of COVID Gilmore said: “Everyone was clapping for NHS staff and key workers, and that got me thinking what my place is in all this mess. I then logged onto my work computer and was advised by a popup that it was time to reset my password. So I wrote a song about how pointless and useless my job is to the world when everything felt like it was breaking and seemed apocalyptic.”
The EP’s closing statement is single ‘Sunburnt’, a screeching and ferocious track most melodic of all and politically charged like none of the others. It is relentless, energetic and potentially my favourite of the EP. A great slice of Public Body, as well as all other singles on the EP which has clearly been created with the end product in mind. All five tracks work hand in hand and bring a complete picture of what goes on in Public Body’s personal, professional, and musical mind!
Words by Laura Rosierse
