With their second full album due out in February, Public Service Broadcasting have set their sights high on Race for Space. Beginning with the brilliant teaser video and album presale campaign, it’s been a solid promotional effort. With the first single from the album, ‘Gagarin’, they now have an accompanying video that’s something of a curiosity and also quite hilarious. More on that later.
One of the best things about the first new single is that it quickly dispels the notion that PSB are only some precision-driven, metronomic Krautrock band. ‘Gagarin’ is a bit of an extended funky dance jam complete with Tower of Power horn section, string section, and plenty of high-energy sounds. Whilst the 6-piece horn section features prominently here, their windy punctuations are really set up by Wrigglesworth as he plays a nicely rounded back beat with just enough lag on the snare snap to allow the brass instruments to play on top of 2 and 4. Thus the Tower-of-Power reference. It’s every bit a TOP jam and twice as fun.
Listen to the interplay between Willgoose and Wrigglesworth as the guitar lines and drums pump a real heartbeat into the song. Gagarin is full of a frenetic energy, with surging tempos and sonic flourishes. This chemistry has been evident in their live performances, but now it’s on full display in the recorded product as well.
I’ve just heard some fans aren’t fans of this brassed up PSB, to which I’d politely respond to re-listen to your records. PSB have employed wind instruments to great effect elsewhere. Then again, there are those who can’t cope with artists who don’t produce the same record year after year, but the best artists today never tire of experimentation, and most aren’t keen on being pigeonholed nor would they continue if there were no sense of artistic progression in what they do.
Speaking of artistic progression, the Gagarin video is highly creative and fun look back at international celebrity achieved by Yuri Gagarin in the early 1960s, with PSB taking what they normally do a few steps (or leaps) further. The video is directed by Alex Kemp and produced by Tony Powell, who previously worked with PSB on their fantastic ‘Signal 30’ video. Add to this Kieran Donovan’s high-energy choreography and the video is a solid dance frolic with Willgoose and Wrigglesworth busting a move in full astronaut gear with historic reel footage running in the background. They enthusiastically, and with no small bit of humour, jump into their own video and elevate Yuri Gagarin to a new level of rock star status. The last scene is priceless. Need I say more?
The making of Gagarin video is nearly as interesting.
The band recently stopped by the BBC 6 Music studios to play a few tracks from the new album. Listen here.
The expectations for the forthcoming album are high, but from the few tracks I’ve heard so far, The Race For Space might even eclipse the success of first album. I really can’t wait. Look for Public Service Broadcasting on tour throughout the UK, Europe, New Zealand and wherever else they decide to splashdown. Their US tour will begin in Austin with multiple sets at SXSW.
Previously in East Portland Blog: Public Service Broadcasting Storm North America with Their “Inform Education Entertain” Tour, by P. Raffington (02/12/2014)
