“Can’t Get Enough”
from the album We Are Not the Infadels
2006
iTunes
After tuning their sound in the backroom of Ibiza’s dance mecca Manumission for two years, British synth-rock outfit Infadels finally release their debut We Are Not the Infadels in the U.K. this week. Infadels are the latest band to combine ’80s punk-pop elements with today’s electronic production stylings. But the group presents a distinctively different sound compared to many other punktronica bands that are flooding the music scene. Instead of relying on slick pop choruses, model girlfriends or thick eyeliner, these East Londonders present an authentic underground sound that is confident, raw and truly invigorating.
The album kicks off with a rush of energy on “Love Like Semtex” that flows into the bouncy lead single “Can’t Get Enough.“ “Girl That Speaks No Word” should be chart contender as well with its straight up lyrics and downbeat production. The poignant “Reality TV” is one of my favorite tracks on the record. “Wanna see people hugging and kissing. That’s because it’s what you’re missing. The people on the screen are your best friends now,” sings Bnann about people’s obsession with reality television.
The group turns down the volume on “Murder That Sound” that has a nice cosmopolitan feel with lyrcis like “Some people say they’re free in the city with their liberty. But I don’t go for that.” The distorted electro-clash on “Give Yourself To Me” turns into a ska-like beat that exhibits the group’s ability to experiment with different genres and make them their own. I also highly recommend the catchy disco-rock stompers “Jagger ’67” and especially “Sunday” with its infectious synth loop.
Not included on the record is the song “Brandon Vegas” that will mostly like be a B-side tune. As you might initially expect, the title is not a nod to Las Vegas-based Brandon Flowers of the Killers. The song takes its inspiration from a news story about Brandon Vedas, who, persuaded by friends in an Internet chatroom, died of a drug overdose.
If there ever was a wall between dance and rock, Infadels tear down a big piece of it on this debut. We Are Not the Infadels is a sublime album brimming with attitude and refreshing, retro-fitted dancefloor rock that deserves to strike it big in ’06.