Formal Sppeedwear’s Punch Card Reminds Me Of One Band In Particular, Which Is Great, Because I Love That Band

I like Talking Heads. You like Talking Heads. You know who else likes Talking Heads? Formal Sppeedwear. The trio, hailing from the UK town of Stoke On Trent, plays a form of oblong neon post-punk that's obviously indebted to David Byrne and friends, from the wonky rhythms, cartoonish keyboards, and chorus-shrouded rhythm guitar to frontman Beck Clewlow's quirked-up rantings and ravings. I don't say this to neg them. There are a lot of bands I love who operate with an unmistakable primarily influence. And certainly, there are echoes of other noteworthy artists in the mix, especially new wave-era contemporaries like XTC, Peter Gabriel, maybe Joy Division when they shift into funky dirge mode. But yeah. Throughout Punch Card, Formal Sppeedwear's newly released debut album, the Talking Heads resemblance is pretty blatant.I promise this is a positive blog post! I'm having a blast blazing through Punch Card this afternoon, and now I'm feeling like I need to dance 'til I drop at a Formal Sppeedwear concert someday. If you're inclined toward this aesthetic, I suspect you'll feel similarly. The songwriting and execution here are first-rate. Why don't you take a spin through it below and let...