The Electric West - Verdugo

The Electric West

Verdugo
Future Force Records; 2015

4.0 out of 5

By J Simpson

Verdugo the debut EP from LA's The Electric West is a short blast of glammy, gloomy post-punk that will make you reconsider the way you perceive America's left coast and your perception of our nation's history in the process. When you think of LA, chances are you think of Hollywood, movie stars, fake tans, conspicuous consumption in non-stop sunshine. The Electric West's music, however, is like a soundtrack for LA's night time - all sleek, driving futurism and Raymond Chandler noir, painted in a seductive, sleek chrome and black pallet.

The Electric West's sound has been described as "pummeling dance beats with punctuated melodies and Lewallen's sympathetic crooning." Pummeling dance beats is an understatement, as Byron Pagdilao's driving beats are some of this band's most defining characteristics, giving a breakneck momentum to The Electric West's "cold metallic stare at our nation's past."

Quite simply, this is agit-prop for the modern world - a cold, unflinching gaze at some of our least proud moments - the Salem witch trials and manifest destiny - that may not always be fun, but are important, nonetheless, while remaining accessible and danceable at the same time, reminding us of the sentiment, "any revolution without dancing is one not worth having," from acclaimed anarchist Emma Goldman.

We can't move confidently into the future without knowing where we come from. It's important to look, even if you don't like what you see. Similarly, The Electric West's music itself casts its gaze backwards and towards the future, simultaneously, like the Greek god Janus. The Electric West cite Bowie, Gang Of Four and the Dead Kennedys as sonic touchstones, so expect to find politically charged punk rock, but filtered through a futuristic sheen. To this list, I would like to mention The Strokes and the early 2000s post-punk revival, like the early records from The Liars and any other band that has been described as "angular."

The Electric West may be sharp and edgy, but they're still funky and catchy, which was always the best part of the latter-day post-punk. They have a choppy, glammy cosmopolitan swagger that remind us that politics need not always be uber-serious, and has the potential to bring this message to a wider audience, beyond the radical left. The Electric West has good reason to be optimistic about the future. They've expanded from a duo to incorporate guitarist Dee Fuzz, who brings a howling, screaming energy to the propulsive beats and crooning vocals. It’s scorching, and catchy, simultaneously.

The Electric West has a serious chance of breaking out, so catch them now and support them while they're still young! Expect to see these guys’ names in lights.

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