Powerplant

Reviews

Powerplant Grass EP

Dark, melodic post-punk out of London. Has a similar feel to the dozens of other drum-machine-laden bands that are everywhere these days, but POWERPLANT comes off more nuanced than their electronic peers. Less DEVO, and more SMITHS meets ALIEN SEX FIEND. I might catch some flak for this, but they also remind me of a rustic THOMAS DOLBY. That’s supposed to be a compliment, but I understand if it’s not taken as such! I need to give POWERPLANT their due for using sleigh bells throughout “Walk Around (Hang My Head).” You don’t hear enough of those in punk these days. No fooling!

Powerplant People in the Sun LP

UK-based one-man operation POWERPLANT turned a lot of heads in 2019 when his second album People in the Sun was released, and there is a good reason for this. Hard to describe but easy to listen to, this is lo-fi synth-punk in its essence but every tune is a whole new world in itself. “Hey Mr Dogman!” is one hell of an opener, showcasing POWERPLANT’s high-energy garage-punk-meets-SCREAMERS sound, and right next, “Snake Eyes” shifts the game completely in a DEVO-esque weird artsy vibe. There is so much to explore here and every listen will make you piece this puzzle even better. This might be the definition of what egg-punk really is.

Powerplant A Spine / Evidence EP

Demento synth noise from the creepy depths of a dank basement. The first song has an art-prog vibe, PUNISHMENT OF LUXURY meets DEVO with a BRYAN FERRY on ’ludes drawl. The remaining tracks are more direct in their delivery: post-punk but skewed and warped like a carnival mirror. The closing track, “Hurtwood,” sounds like the MISFITS channeling MAGAZINE—now that’s magic, folks!