The Anti Karoshi - Crushed Neocons

Though clearly not fans of overwork (that's your homework - look up the name) The Anti Karoshi provide an excellent example of a minimal line-up making a dense and busy noise. Crushed Neocons is full and rich, though not over-polished, yet the bulk of the credit goes to the band and their clever arrangements. The three Germans in question here – amusingly known as Thea, Ntik, and Aroshi – are clearly students of the school of Dischord, specialising in the kind of jazz-tinged post-hardcore that Bluetip, Smart Went Crazy and latterday Fugazi made their own. The vocals are frequently delivered with a breathy sense of restraint, cool and non-committal, only occasionally stepping up to a Guy Picciotto holler while, as is made apparent in the album title, threaded throughout with cynical political observation. Album centrepiece Contradiction is an especially memorable coming-together of the quality ingredients on offer. [Chris Cusack]