Hang Wave by Polevaulter

Wait… we can talk about music that came out over a week ago? That’s right, it’s time for a retrospective. To be fair, the word “retrospective” doesn’t carry a ton of weight here since the album came out two weeks ago, but seeing as it won album of the week on the most recent podcast we figured we should probably touch on it. Darkwave and industrial power electronics prevail in Hang Wave, the electric debut album by Leeds-based duo Polevaulter. Fully-realized and self-possessed, the group infuses danceability into anticapitalist post-rock bangers without ever taking themselves too seriously. They clearly voice an unabashed disillusionment with the rat race that is the modern music industry, criticizing the hyper capitalist mindset that’s so prevalent in some people’s creative process. And by using catchy dance pop structures as a framework while injecting dark gritty electronica, they further reject these structures that seem to dim an artist’s sense of authenticity. If you’ve struggled to enjoy power electronics in the past, we highly recommend giving Hang Wave a try!

- Carrie