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Preoccupations – Preoccupations: Album Review

20 September, 2016 — by Christopher Ratcliff0

PREOCCUPATIONS album cover

Making their second chance at a first impression are Preoccupations (née Viet Cong), your new favourite band that sounds like Interpol ripping off Psychedelic Furs ripping off Bauhaus ripping off Joy Division.

I’m not saying that like it’s a bad thing. I love all those bands. Especially Psychedelic Furs. I kinda like Preoccupations too. It’s just that it’s hard to get past the obvious influences.

Back in the old Viet Cong days (I can’t imagine why they got rid of the name) all this derivative angst and humourless posturing just felt like hard work. All trudging percussion, muddied production and 11 minute long songs called ‘Death’.

However on their second debut album (there’s something vaguely Spinal Tap about that, like having two lead guitarists) Preoccupations have discovered some of the more appealing aspects of their forerunners. Namely the odd hook, a few pleasantly warming synths and a tighter semblance of song structure.

Preoccupations, pictured left to right: Unnamed hobo, Gary Numan, Johnny Vaughan, Lee Harvey Oswald.
Preoccupations, pictured left to right: unnamed hobo, Gary Numan, Johnny Vaughan, Lee Harvey Oswald.

Opening track ‘Anxiety’ is the most clearly indebted to Joy Division, especially in Matt Flegel’s channeling of Ian Curtis’s vocals, but more impressively his lyrics almost match the stark, matter of fact vulnerability of Curtis’s own.

Elsewhere, ‘Monotony’ balances gorgeously between industrial misery and uplifting synths, a hire-wire act few bands outside of New Order have managed. ‘Zodiac’ has the same swirling psychedelic menace of The Horrors’ finest moments on Primary Colours. ’Degraded’ is possibly Preoccupations’ poppiest moment, or at least most accessible track, with its danceable rhythm, tightly controlled noise and immediately thrilling chorus.

Ultimately Preoccupations is a thoroughly enjoyable hour spent in the company of a miserable foursome with excellent music taste. Something I wouldn’t have expected based on Viet Cong’s previous form.

It’s just that I feel like in recommending Preoccupations I also need to caveat that you could be listening to all of those other older (better) bands instead. Then again, if you were to go by that logic, we’d all just be listening to ‘Transmission’ forever on repeat and nobody would make any new music because what would be the point? 3/5

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