If the question was posed of what the world needs right now, in a musical sense, the answer would probably be Algiers. The group, formed in southern Georgia but based in London, this year released their second album The Underside of Power which spoke directly to the times even as it dealt with timeless themes.
Mixing post-punk stylings with industrial and noise electronics and the exhilarating gospel vocals of frontman Franklin Fisher, it boldly challenged power structures, the human condition and cycles of violence and oppression, all underpinned with a desperate plea for uprising and change.
The title track captures the tone of the album in a perfect microcosm, as verses that bubble under the surface with venomous tension explode into a stirring chorus of sheer energy as Fisher invokes the soul of former Motown icons over buzzing guitars and the thumping beats of former Bloc Party drummer Matt Tong.
"I've seen the underside of power, it's just a game that can't go on", the hook bellows out. A resolute message in the face of a world that needs it, Algiers' conviction of beliefs and ability to seamlessly blend styles that really shouldn't work mean they are creating something truly special.
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