I’m a fan of Talking Heads, and you probably are too. Guess who else shares that enthusiasm for the band? Formal Sppeedwear. This three-piece from Stoke-on-Trent in the United Kingdom crafts a distinctly angular, neon-lit post-punk that clearly nods to David Byrne and his crew—from the quirky rhythms and cartoonish keyboards to the chorus-soaked rhythm guitar, right through frontman Beck Clewlow’s offbeat tirades and ravings.
I don’t say this to put them down. I love plenty of bands that wear a singular, unmistakable influence on their sleeve. And certainly, there are traces of other notable artists in the mix, particularly among contemporaries from the new wave era like XTC, Peter Gabriel, and maybe Joy Division when they drift into a funkier dirge. Still, across Punch Card, Formal Sppeedwear’s debut album, the Talking Heads comparison is fairly blatant.
I’m not writing this as a digression—this is a positive write-up. I’m tearing through Punch Card this afternoon and I’m suddenly envisioning myself dancing until I drop at a Formal Sppeedwear show someday. If you’re drawn to this aesthetic, I suspect you’ll feel the same spark. The songwriting and execution here are top-notch. Give it a spin below and tell me what it stirs in you.
Punch Card is out now on Melodic. Buy it here.
