WE’RE IN LOVE, YEAH RIGHT!NOISE BEAT PROPAGANDA
The Poni Republic, Mexico
Rating: 79
By Carlos Reyes
For a netlabel known for its left-field pop spirit, this year The Poni Republic seems certain to defy its lo-fi institution to set its magic into edgier projects like its latest release Noise Beat Propaganda. It’s a punk band from Mexicali, Baja California, whose endless and unprecedented energy arrive at the best moment to boost our iPods, we need forms of distraction during this globalized crisis and what a better way to smooth disaster than through the revealing and rebellious We’re In Love, Yeah Right. After listening to Selma Oxor, XYX or Vicente Gayo one can’t help to get the feeling that Mexico’s punk (if existent) is finally in the hands of acts that will actually progress it, let’s bitchslap Panda and company already.
Noise Beat Propaganda delivers hypnotic sessions of noise that in a weird way sound elegant, not in a casual or formal way, more of a girly junkie kind of order a la Peaches, Marnie Stern and No Lo Soporto which I happen to like very much. It might be that they like their punk to be danceable instead of letting it burst in attitude or function as some kind of social statement. Can I already declare “Sexy Neon Wine” as one of my favorite tracks of the year? Not only is its instrumentation a double-plotted narrative (try it with earphones!), it’s one of those songs that resolves itself on the surface, but leaves layers behind for the listener to take action on. It’s strikingly sexual and the evidence of a wasted night presented in a tell-and-respond manner. “Somebody kill me please! (let’s do it! lets do it!)”
“Public Decay” is the only piece to struggles to hold its theme; it’s hard to “be part of a social dismissal” these days, urban tribes have come to the rescue and it’s a lot more difficult to make a strong impression on political defiance. But it does talk about a collective fear, about letting things fall on their own. “Sin Final” is a frenzy invitation to jump in hysteria. The band rises up again with “Can’t Let You Go”, a delusional if not creepy love letter to a rockstar, the four band members get a chance to shine, especially vocalist Ana Torres who really goes crazy. We’re In Love, Yeah Right! ends up being an amusingly enjoyable first offering of pink punk by a band we clearly want to hear more of.