Einstein Music Journal

Bringing the old school charm of the likes of the Sex Pistols back into the often over hyped and under delivering indie/electro scene, I’m betting We Smoke Fags, in their under whelmed, dismissive English way, don’t really give a toss. Some of their songs draw on Joy Division’s pummelling bass and squeaky guitar rhythms, while others sample Teenagers-esque sass with power-pop-metal guitar chords.
Each quest with We Smoke Fags is unique, taking the defining element of a given genre and turning it on its head, juxtaposing it with something completely different. You could just brush them off as another surprisingly catchy irreverent new wave electro punk outfit, but they’re more than that. Disco beats distorted with dirty synth are punctuated with the occasional cheesy club sample and underpinned with driving rhythms and repetitive, simple vocal breaks that are delivered in a restrained Howlin’ Pele fashion. Mixed with low quality, crackly strums, it makes for a mind-boggling pop amalgamation.
Eastenders’ angular post punk guitar and Lust Puppet’s cheesy midi samples give way to exhilarating sweet melodies about girls (yes,) and arcade bleeps. This is really fun stuff for the usual too-cool-for-school kinda crowd that their look typically adheres to, but whatever. Do we ever tire of boys with dress sense?
The Talking Heads pep on Passion For Fashion shows that these chavvy kids know where it’s at, and I’m betting they get many usually stifled indie kids dancing.
It’s clear that We Smoke Fags take many cues from their influences – contemporary and otherwise, but with their brazen attitudes and proven delivery, they can’t go wrong.
Currently on their Does It Offend You, Yeah? tour of their home turf in the UK, I’m shining my dancing shoes now in the hopes that their infectious new wave pop epidemic catches a boat down here and spits some sass on our shores ASAP.