My Other People by TV Priest album review by Robert Duguay for Northern Transmissions

Sub Pop

8.5

My Other People

TV Priest

Words by Robert Duguay

There’s always a certain amount of pressure that comes with a sophomore release. The meeting of expectations is multi-faceted with the record label, the fans and most importantly the band or artist themselves needing to be satisfied. A little bit of fearlessness is required as well when it comes to tweaking things and making the album a legit follow up rather than a direct clone of the debut.

London post-punks TV Priest pulled this off with their second album My Other People that came out via the seminal Sub Pop Records on June 17. Frontman Charlie Drinkwater’s crooning is accented by a British drawl while Nic Bueth’s bass holds it all together with Ed Kelland’s drumming as Alex Sporgis’ guitar gives off an assortment of tones and Bueth tops it all off with his notes on the keys in various instances.

While post-punk is definitely the musical foundation of their sound, it doesn’t put TV Priest in a box. Some songs start off acoustically but not in a pop leaning way, more in a rigid format that conveys the rawness of the chords. The amplified tracks provide an intense display of noise that blisters through each note. The production quality captures the gritty authenticity of the band and it’s a great characteristic to have. It’s better to keep it real and show what’s really happening sonically rather than be backed up by auto-tune or another crappy program that feigns actual talent.

I’ve been blasting “Bury Me In My Shoes” ever since I got the advance release of My Other People. When Drinkwater unleashes the chorus of “life only comes in flashes of greatness”, it supplies a jolt of energy that gets the senses revved up. “I Have Learnt Nothing” has a bit of charisma to it while encompassing a whirlwind of riffs and beats. One of the songs that has the acoustic foundation I previously mentioned is “The Happiest Place On Earth” and it’s probably the closest thing to a ballad you’ll hear from these guys. Other great songs off of the album are the title track, “The Breakers” and “I Am Safe Here”.

There’s a lot more going on with this record than just a genre or a label. There’s big band style vocals with a blue collar delivery, there are rhythmic structures and there’s an intense display of sonic brilliance. You can’t say TV Priest is just a post-punk or an indie rock band after listening to this album. They push the envelope while keeping it genuine to themselves and their audience. This is why I think My Other People is great and I think you’ll feel the same way after
giving it a listen.