ALBUM REVIEW: New World Artifacts – Unschooling

French lo-fi post-punk band UNSCHOOLING have just put out their debut album New World Artifacts, which was recorded on a farm belonging to a friend in a DIY studio across several live sessions. When it comes to their music, nothing is straightforward, as the band experiment with different sounds and styles in a way that might not be for everyone but remains interesting throughout.

As the album opens with the title track that serves as a small intro to the record, listeners are greeted by an assortment of sounds ranging from archived broadcasts to behind-the-scenes audio from when the band recorded the album. The record then moves into Public Transit which, if you had to summarise, has an old school vibe with the use of what sounds like a brass section that heavily reminds you of songs from the 60s – more specifically it will probably have you thinking of bands like THE BEATLES and THE BEACH BOYS.

A lot of the album is reminiscent of earlier decades of rock in the sense that the band capture the low-quality production of some live recordings of songs from the 70s – like in Excommunicated, which, while featuring lo-fi styles that feel somewhat ethereal, is mainly focused on a blend of rock ‘n’ roll and punk, as well as Erase U that once again reminds you of videos featuring live performances by the first wave of punk bands, as well as fitting into the type of music your dad might play when you go to visit for lunch.

Asides from the tracks mentioned above, and perhaps Brand New Storm that has heavy resemblance to something played at a Halloween party and sounds so cool and effortless, most of the songs tend to follow a similar format of experimenting with lo-fi punk by adding in a new rhythm, adding in a different instrument, or distorting a noise. That’s not to say it sounds bad or that it’s boring, it’s just that if you’re not heavily into this genre you might struggle to understand, but if this is a genre that you live and breathe, then you’ll have high praise.

Regardless, it is interesting to see what happens when you combine lo-fi with a genre that typically goes in the opposite direction, and in the case of UNSCHOOLING they have created something that, while not for everyone, is intriguing and will find many eagerly awaiting the next song.

Rating: 7/10

New World Artifacts is out now via Bad Vibrations.

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