Brooklyn-based post-punk band Bootblacks have been dazzling the world with their powerful live performances since their inception in 2010. They’re the perfect package- punchy records, compelling imagery, unstoppable live energy, and a delicious shroud of mystery surrounding their craft.
Their latest record Fragments is a meditation on life and loss, set to a darkwave backdrop. Over the course of eight tracks, the band expands on their already eclectic sonic territory, combining the dancefloor edge of Xymox with the anthemic power of early U2. Guitarist Alli Gorman channels the trademark delay techniques of The Edge and The Chameleons to cut through the heavy synth arpeggios, courtesy of newest member Barrett Hiatt (The Harrow, Automelodi). Roger Humanbeing’s drums thunder and crack, while Panther MacDonald’s vocals and lyrics are both biting and introspective.
Two singles have been premiered from the record thus far, including the club-ready “The Longest Night” and opening track “Hold & Dissolve,” which serves as the album’s statement of intent. Every track on Fragments is vital, especially the Pretty Hate Machine-esque “Memory Palace,” the reflective and beautiful “For You (Lois),” and closing track “Gone,” which mixes the throb of early 90s electronica with the bleak, saxophone drenched vibes of David Bowie’s Berlin trilogy. Overall, the record is the band’s finest effort to date, pushing the boundaries of their influences to great heights.
Fragments was recorded by Hillary Johnson (The Prids, Second Still) and co-produced by Hiatt and MacDonald. The band will be embarking on a tour throughout Europe, which begins next week in Berlin. Fragments is out today on Manic Depression Records and is available as a free download via Bandcamp. Vinyl and CD copies are also available.
Tour dates:
Sep 19 Berlin @ Bei Ruth *
Sep 20 Nuremberg @ Projekt 31
Sep 21 Bern @ Cafe Toujours
Sep 22 Milan @ TNT Club
Sep 23 Paris @ Le Klub #
Sep 24 Lille @ TBA
Sep 25 Hamburg @ Astra Stube
Sep 28 Potsdam @ Fliese ^
Sep 29 Leipzig @ Gieszer16 ^
* w/ Otzi
# w/ Holygram, Adam Usi
^ w/ Second Still
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