Protomartyr won a lot of plaudits in 2015 for their record ‘The Agent Intellect’ and with good reason. Except for perhaps the-band-formerly-known-as-Viet-Cong, no post-punk act that year managed to make something with such sonic depth and rhetorical power.
Frontman Joe Casey’s lectures on political and social issues were sneering and pessimistic, but they also felt authentic. That was only enhanced by the four-piece’s dynamic and somewhat erratic instrumental approach. Gloomy bass and rolling drum fills accompanied the record’s darkest moments, only occasionally making way for more playful melodies.
With that in mind, it’s worth saying its follow-up doesn’t offer a huge amount in the way of development. Nor does it need to.
The Detroit band’s main strength is their consistency and clarity of vision. Like its predecessors, ‘Relatives in Descent’ is principally driven by a relentless need to expose injustice.
On previous records, Casey’s lyrics tended to tackle topics like poverty and deprivation more directly, stemming from his own personal experiences growing up in the Motor City. He raises his gaze towards broader themes this time around, attacking the political decisions of older generations on My Children and toxic masculinity on Male Plague.
You might assume a wider scope would dilute Casey’s content, but he comes across as more furious than ever. He isn’t mindlessly misanthropic, either. On The Chuckler he dryly murmurs: “I’ll keep on chuckling until there’s no more breath in my lungs. Lord, how I wish there was a better ending to this joke.”
Protomartyr are so gripping precisely because their music is imbued with irony and surreal humour. While Casey uses his platform as a soapbox, he never becomes whiny or pathetic. That is backed up by the remaining trio: guitarist Greg Ahee, drummer Alex Leonard and bassist Scott Davidson. Even when Casey is at his moodiest, as on the ominous Windsor Hum, there’s always a melodic gear change around the corner.
If you were to criticise the band’s instrumentalists it’s that they’re generally dutiful rather than spectacular. Most of the grooves on the album are well tailored to the emotional dips and leaps of Casey’s voice without demanding too much attention. But the anthemic riffs on The Chuckler and closer Half-Sister demonstrate they also have the potential to steal the show.
There are no dramatic additions to the Protomartyr palette other than the occasional string excerpt or ghostly synth. They’re structurally sharper – less monotone and space is used more effectively – but the core components of their sound remain intact. Rather, the most observable improvement in their music is the sheer weight of topics they explore and the emotional heft they attach to them.
Critics love to compare Protomartyr to gothic ‘80s groups due to their use of minor chords and emphasis on dark themes, but in truth they far surpass many of them in terms of contextual significance. The cliché goes that successful artists “capture the zeitgeist”, but what makes Protomartyr compelling is their fierce and unflinching rejection of it at every turn.
Protomartyr Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Sun November 12 2017 - BRIGHTON Haunt
Tue November 14 2017 - LONDON Dome, Tufnell Park
Wed November 15 2017 - MANCHESTER Deaf Institute
Thu November 16 2017 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Cluny
Fri November 17 2017 - GLASGOW CCA
Sat November 18 2017 - DUBLIN Whelans
Sun November 19 2017 - LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
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