These New Puritans offer an assault on the senses

The second album from the Southend group, described by frontman Jack Barnett as "dancehall meets Steve Reich" and regarded by many as one of 2010’s most spectacular, was played in its entirety — with a little help from Britten Sinfonia and New London Children’s Choir.

The Barbican, which was filled close to capacity
with an eclectic crowd, provided appropriately reverential surroundings for this ambitious musical experiment. Indeed, as the band sloped on stage, there was a deathly silence while the audience pondered whether it would be appropriate to applaud: it was — and they did.

With the etiquette established, it was time for the music. The thwack of a gong announced We Want War, cueing a barrage of hip-hop beats and stuttering synths courtesy of bandmates Thomas Hein, Sophie Sleigh-Johnson and Jack’s twin brother, George.  

Barnett’s ominous croon was leavened by the angelic voices of the children’s choir, while woodwind fluttered thoughtfully in and out. It was immediately clear: this was going to work.
Still, These New Puritans didn’t make it easy: Barnett’s movements were as nervy as his band’s music, drums weren’t so much hit as beaten within
an inch of their life, and audience interaction was simply not on the agenda. Puritans by name, puritans by nature.

However, Fire-Power included what must surely be a Barbican first: the spectacle of a man repeatedly hitting a melon with a hammer (apparently to replicate the sound of a human head exploding). But it was Drum Courts — Where Corals Lie that scored highest: part dreamy lullaby, part aural assault, it was modern music at its finest. 

Mercury nomination or not, with this much talent These New Puritans will soon be recognised for the stars they are.

These New Puritans, with the Britten Symphonia
Barbican
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS