These New Puritans
I forgot my headphones today. Usually, my way of getting through the working day is: big headphones on, queuing up something with a hypnotic bass line, volume cranked. Focus. Thankfully, the radio selection in my office is pretty decent, but the tinny and distant speaker is a big contrast to my normal routine.
Fortunately I had tonight lined up: one of the most sonically interesting bands to come out of the UK this century, at arguably the most well-curated space in the country. These New Puritans emerged as a fairly raw band with a lot of promise back in 2008, with 2010’s Hidden - amusingly to this author, the NME’s 2010 album of the year - both polished yet still confrontational, immediately showing the band fulfilling their early potential, when still only in their very early twenties.
While all of their records borrow from similar sonic palettes – church organs, glockenspiel, stiff electronic beats, George Barnett’s marching band-like drums, and of course twin brother Jack Barnett’s beautiful, fragile voice – the final painting is often so different. Uniquely themselves, still boundary pushing, they feel unique almost two decades into their career – this year’s Crooked Wing is a slow burner, a record that when you give it time, will get under your skin and unfold in front of you. I can assure you, this is the way to digest TNP: I am someone who has had 2013’s otherworldly Field of Reeds permanently etched into my brain, having spent countless hours with it, its roots firmly lodged.
The White Hotel is best known for being at the forefront of dance music in the UK. It’s Salford’s sanctuary away from the inner-city clubs currently being thumbed by a new wave of freshers, away from Manchester’s ominous eye of Sauron that is The Warehouse Project. Club nights here typically run from midnight to about 7am - for some it’s the destination after the destination, for some it’s the main event. But its location - balanced on the edge of disused warehouses, offset from the city centre - means you have to make an effort to come here. It’s worth it. It’s one of those rare cultural melting pots where the dancefloor unites, where you can tell how passionate the people running it are.
I genuinely can’t think of a better band and venue pairing than this proposition tonight. The walk from central Manchester is dark and gloomy - my route probably not the most advisable, to be fair - but it’s perfect TNP weather. Even down to branding these two are peas in a pod: TNP’s merch and White Hotel social media posts look like they could be the handiwork of the same artist.
There’s little in the way of lighting on stage: a V-shaped set of warm white bulbs dip to nothing to signify the start of the set, giving way to a slowly-changing, moody orange-red backdrop, casting the band as shadows - only occasionally permeated by strobes during some of the more drum-heavy sections. It’s tasteful and effective.
The sound engineers understand this room remarkably well. It’s somehow both open and closed, the drums feeling almost claustrophobic at times and spacious at others; synths whirling and droning, glockenspiel permeating the canvas with amazing clarity. I saw TNP in a cathedral about a month ago (for Sheffield’s excellent No Bounds festival): it is frankly ludicrous that the keys tonight sound comparable to the church organ – the only thing missing is that feeling in your chest as the organ swells inside you.
TNP are in fine form. Having taken a long pause from touring, the aforementioned Sheffield show saw Jack Barnett using a lyric sheet when reeling off half of the periodic table for Infinity Vibraphones - it’s now muscle memory again, no prompts needed. They quickly relax into the set. Crooked Wing’s jaw dropping centrepiece, I’m Already Here – which quite literally stopped me in my tracks earlier this year – is delicate, crushing, beautiful.
The setlist has been tweaked slightly and the flow is brilliant; neo-classical Field of Reeds’ leading single Fragment Two and V (Island Song) benefit from both the flow and the excellently-engineered room. The Hidden duet of We Want War and Three Thousand showcase the more aggressive side of TNP. Though these records sound very different, the drums in particular are really made to pop in these songs - they’re so punchy - pulling a thread neatly through TNP’s projects.
After a triumphant Where The Trees Are On Fire – those burnt orange lights dialled up to great effect – comes a blistering 10-minute rendition of Organ Eternal to close proceedings. Each member of the band peels off of the stage in turn, soaking up the atmosphere. A final droney flourish on the theremin for good measure comes to a sharp end - no encore, a real “How could you come back out after that?” - the V-shaped bulbs fade back in, then drown the room.
The Barnetts hang around after the show to sign records and chat to fans. You can tell that the hard work and love that they pour into These New Puritans is appreciated and the fans’ sincere heartfelt thanks is reflected. Again, the symmetry between band and venue just feels so right.
I don’t even mind not having headphones for the train ride home.