Their words pull no punches, they are fired with conviction and intent. Softening this directness is the composition of their songs, the rich instrumentation smoothing corners without diluting the message. An accomplished album from a political and polyphonic partnership.
Knox and Lush have a raw edge
“Governments do not govern, but merely control the machinery of government, being themselves controlled by the hidden hand.” So said Benjamin Disraeli, the chameleon chancellor of 19th century Britain. Our age, and my writing, is taking on more a political edge. Social commentary is nothing new for synth wave, a sound forged in the narcissism and neglect of the 1980s.
Analytica, Gabe Knox and David Lush, certainly have something to say about the world we find ourselves in. Their very name calls to mind the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the shadowy company’s data mining antics were, arguably, influential in a spread elections across the globe.
The Canadian pairing first appeared on Ice Machine in 2020 with their excellent eponymous album, a release that collected their debut tape of 2019 with new material. As the world turns off its axis, the duo is back with Strategy of Tension.
Sounding like the Machiavellian name of a backroom spin doctor’s autobiography, the title is an indication of what Knox and Lush have in store. From the elegant elation of “Galleria,” the wide expanses, intimate synth-work and alienated vocals of “Anyone We Know” take hold. The joyous dirge of “Playmobil” marks a shift into consumerism, gloss and glamour through a cold synth melody and stark beat. We descend into darker corners with “Champions,” gambling addiction through oscillations and undulations with samples returning to the bookie’s hatch again and again. An ode to Adam Smith follows. Burbling blackened bars are bent and buckled by a verbal barrage of promises, vocals telling of how corruption and lies have left us degraded and destitute.
The batons charge in “Barricades” while “Uniform” summarises we are trapped in a world where “hypocrisy reigns.” These clever and cutting criticisms are all written to sparkling synthesizer melodies, the cold reality comforted by analogue warmth. Those melodies adopt a heavier mantle for “Dissent.” Crisp minimal beats are shrouded in thick notes, layers building to a monologue of bitter fates. The LP closes with the embrace of “NeverB.” In a style very reminiscent of The Silicon Scientist, Analytica close with a beautifully delicate work that espouses something better is possible.
Knox and Lush have a raw edge. Their words pull no punches, they are fired with conviction and intent. Softening this directness is the composition of their songs, the rich instrumentation smoothing corners without diluting the message. An accomplished album from a political and polyphonic partnership.
Strategy of Tension is available on Ice Machine. [Bandcamp]
