It’s a strange affair, the one experienced by The Wind-up Birds and the newcomer to their sound. It’s clearly a miner in a strip mining operation that hit a motherload with a mineral with the formula Ba5Gu3Dr2·V(OH) (III). Bass is heavy and well connected to all parts, the drums get their time to shine, the guitar jangles, jimmies and shimmers and the voice has that British attitude well carried by its distinct accent.

Whether that mineral is what you need in your diet or not, depends on your daily intake. If your five a day is The Jam, Buzzcocks, The Stranglers, The Cure and Repo Men, then it will be a good addition (not a supplement, though) to your steady diet. A good feat for a new album.

‘Nostalgic for…’ is a fave of mine. A droning track that becomes into a full on rant, like as stream-of-consciousness tirade that never lets go nor stops , a cathartic moment when the everyday stress and the minute pet peeves that have accumulated over a certain period of time are slowly seeped out and delivered in piecemeal portions. This is not the only time where the pent-up anger shows, as ‘There won’t always be an England’, which somehow shares what I feel about football and focuses about a twat in a pub angering our protagonist. Hope a punch was thrown.

The rest of the album has the pace (frantic!) that you’d expect. ‘Wonder street’ and ‘No people, just cutouts’ are the rockier isotopes of this band, ‘Pop man’ and ‘Escape from New Yorkshire’ (ace title!) are the reason why bass should feature prominently (but not overbearing) in music mixes and ‘Being dramatic’ is for the kids wanting to go mexican jumping frijol and bounce around.

The Land is for the ones looking for some post punk music with new wave stylings. Did I mention the bass is pretty nifty?

Words: Sam J. Valdés López

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