How can you say
This accents dumb
When these are the people held in tithe you profiteer from
In a land devoid
Of empathy
Nobody notices strange fruit floating in the sea
Now Stephen says
He don't like people who don't look like him
Oh no the apologists excuses are wearing thin
You embalm yourself
In Nostalgia
Now you're quoting rivers of blood Christ what the fuck is wrong with you
As you hanker for
Those colonial years
In a nation built on immigration and unfounded fears
Now Stephen says
He don't like people who don't look like him
Oh no the apologists excuses are wearing thin
And now you rant and you foam at the mouth
Like a mad dog or an Englishman in the midday sun
When you're so full of hate you get nothing done
I don't wanna
Hide behind a flag or a crown like you bootlicking bastards constantly punching down
Just to ensconce your place in the middle ground
Birmingham’s favourite post-punk miserablism merchants Modern Literature are back – with an expanded five-piece line up – and a new single.
Modern Literature’s new single Bootlicker is a lesson in taut Kraut rock rhythm performance, syncopated guitar stabs, arpeggios and punchy vocals. Bootlicker is also a visceral warning. It warns of the danger of the populism, jingoism and right-wing isolationism that’s infected the consciousness of our ever-less pleasant land and reminds us of the disdain in which we should hold those espousing such views.
The lyrics reflect on the othering of vast swathes of society through the performative cruelty of the nouveau riche and complacently comfortable. Those who lap up a diet of prescribed contempt cooked up by a sneering press, while conveniently forgetting their own less affluent upbringings. The people that pull the ladder up after themselves. The song combines the dry observation of The Fall at their most playful, the bombast and energy of prime Lydon, a Krautrock groove, and entirely justified vitriol.
Modern Literature are from Birmingham, birthplace of so much that is important and vital about rock music. They combine the post-punk leanings of their forebears with their own unique reflections and stylings. Their pummeling riffs, jagged rhythms and skewed guitar driven sound is usually delivered in a frenetic live performance. Bootlicker is a rare chance to hear them refined, but not restrained.
credits
released February 16, 2024
Recorded and mixed at Midlands Arts Centre by James Covell. Mastered by Michael Valentine West.
Modern Literature is Greg Smith: Vox, Kieran Naughton: guitar, Mark Lewis: guitar & keyboards, Chris “Skip” Davies: Bass guitar, Jacob Hall: Drums.
Jo Bevan is one of the best singers in modern rock. The band is tight and talented and does some nifty post-punky style stuff. This album has some exceptional songs on it. rick-taylor
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