Review | Public Body – Flavour Of Labour

Label: Self-Released

‘Flavour of Labour’ is the latest EP from Brighton based art punk upstarts Public Body. Having produced music for the likes of FEET and Home Counties, guitarist Theo Verney takes on production duties for his own band and it’s a raw but clear sound that helps push Public Body’s flurried attack.

Opener ‘Formica’ starts ‘Flavour of Labour’ with all guns blazing. The relentless drum attack and quirky, angular guitars drive the track forward as vocalist Seb Gilmore spits about a crypto-obsessed man that falls foul of a Twitter troll and loses all his money. The whirling synth adds a playful layer to it and it’s hard not to hear hints of Devo. While title track ‘Flavour of Labour’ is slightly less left of centre, it is no less immediate. Still with the buzzing guitar and furious drums, it has that post punk/ art edge that you cannot ignore.

‘Hard To Concentrate’ dials the intensity down a touch but still maintains an edge. This song of losing your mind in a mundane office comes replete with searing guitar tones, playful bass and thundering drums. ‘Flavour of Labour’ EP is full of passion, wit and drive. It has a youthful energy yet also a certain wisdom about it that usually comes later in a band’s career. With one foot in post punk and another in art indie/punk, Public Body takes the best bits of both and smash them together in a blender at high speed.