Knowledge Freedom Power [Import]

The Slow Readers Club follow their 2020 Top 10 album 'The Joy of the Return' with the release of their new record 'Knowledge Freedom Power. 'Knowledge Freedom Power'is a sizzling synth-rock beast of a record akin to White Lies, Muse and modern-day Bloc Party, and a rallying cry of emancipation, both stylistically and socially. It's a righteous punch of the air, a surge towards the future. Frontman Aaron Starkie says, "The world had got so bleak it felt a little indulgent to paint apocalyptic pictures when they were out in the real world. I thought people would probably want to hear more uplifting things, it was my intention to be a bit more positive. There's still a lot of melodrama in there and it's still dystopian in places but there's more positive shades in this record." That positivity powers to the fore with the album's lead single and title track, an instantly addictive hybrid of the band's new pulsating synth style with their anthemic alt - rock roots. As much as the record finds The Slow Readers Club channelling a brighter spirit, there's no dumbing down of their famously ferocious and insightful lyricism. A beam of hope shines throughout 'Sacred Song' : part in the form of a spiritual saviour, but also embracing the power of love as a force for good, something which can also be achieved by the friendship and community spirit infused in 'Lay Your Troubles On Me'. Yet a darkness still looms large, whether it's within the warmongering satire - and ultimately individual powerlessness - of 'Seconds Out' or the steady march of automation over the human workforce on opener 'Modernise' 'Knowledge Freedom Power' is the band's sixth album and the latest giant leap in one of the greatest self-made success stories in recent British rock history.