Album Review – Nots, Cosmetic

Almost four decades ago in the UK there was a year that turned everything on it’s head, politically, socially and musically, this became known as the winter of discontent, it was a time of deep social division and political infighting that led to the election of a right wing government, the effects of that era can still be felt to this day. It was this backdrop and the confluence of factors that informed the development of what has become known as post punk. Now this brings us to Nots, who appear to have produced an album that sounds like it has arrived in 2016 having bypassed the last 37 years.

Nots have made an album that is full of the energy that the early punk scene had in abundance, but it is also full of the spiky and angular rhythms that characterised the sound and style of the post punk music of that era. Cosmetic appears to proudly embrace the influences of bands from that era, such as The Fall, The Au Pairs and Public Image Ltd, and in doing so they have produced a sparse yet complex and experimental album, it is one that is full of manic energy and frantic rhythms that are delivered in a challenging and unconventional manner. The manic drumbeats and frantic bass lines are overlaid with angular guitar, snatches of synthesizer and discordant vocals that compliment the overall atmosphere and dark tones of the album. Vocalist and guitarist Natalie Hoffman is also involved in art and design, she creates challenging pieces of art that compliment the abstract post punk nature of Nots.

Quite how a quartet from Memphis Tennessee came to replicate the sound of a scene that was inspired by musical experimentation and political uncertainty a lifetime ago is a mystery. Unless of course they happened to be living in an era that reflected those conditions, and this was an uncertain time with the potential for a right wing government to be elected at a time when heightened social divisions have created an atmosphere of alienation and discontent, but we couldn’t be letting history repeat itself again… could we?

Cosmetic can be ordered here

Natalie Hoffman‘s artwork can be found here