British punk outfit LibraLibra have been making waves in their home country and abroad with their audacious, against-the-grain sound which is pure rebellion encapsulated in unforgettable tracks. Now the Brighton four-piece have made their mark once again with their Modern Millennial EP, a striking collection of tracks that represents the ups and downs of a generation increasingly saying farewell to their 20s. As such, the EP contains themes of hysterectomy, mental collapses, breakups, loss, a global pandemic and existential dread, so you know, the light stuff.
Here’s some more insight into this no-holds-barred EP: “‘Modern Millennial’ was written in the midst of a full blown psychotic break. I hit a point in my life where everything came to a head, I didn’t know if I was alive or dreaming. I was my biggest failure. I was waiting for my ovaries to be ripped out of me, injecting my stomach with a giant needle & I broke. The funny thing is I thought this was rock bottom. But I had only touched the surface. Unable to hide, I wrote, unable to explain to those around me, I wrote, unable to understand my own truths, I wrote. And a collection of songs was born, which provide an insight not only into my personal horror show but provide commentary on how systematically we are all fucked. For during my own personal breakdown, the world broke down too. I am not alone, collectively we are in dire straits, caught between power plays, at the mercy of right wing nutters, the Tories, the Royals, global nuclear warfare. This EP is for anyone just trying to get by, to not make sense of it all, but to find some peace amongst the madness”
We kick off the riotous proceedings with ‘Candy Mountain’, a beat-driven, shout-worthy cheer track that immediately fills the listener with the willingness to fight agains the “man” who wants to put you down. Never ones to go by convention, the second track on the EP is an inspired version of the Simon & Garfunkel classic, although with the slightly altered titled ‘Here’s To You Mr. Robinson’. It sounds like a feminist ABBA track, so also pulling one earlier references, thanks to the 70s disco melodies but with a handful of dystopian hair-metal thrown into the mix. There’s no mistaking that this is LibraLibra‘s finger point at the global authorities who are driving the world into disaster, all for a nice shiny profit.
The band continue to push boundaries as we head into third single ‘Fancy Car’, with its didactic message and blood-curdling guitar slams. Undeniably punk and subverting all societal expectations of women’s sexuality. This is LibraLibra at their best! From thier we move into the anthemic ‘Moonbeam’, which hinges on the most delicious of hooks generating the sing-a-long moment for everyone struggling with their mental health. The complimenting vocals, guitar bursts and frenetic percussion are particularly great here.
The band tells us a little more about ‘Moonbeam’ for us here: “‘Moonbeam’ is kind of an inner monologue. It is about the hypocrisy that I feel many of us face growing up in these times. For many of us we are faced with this wasteland of information. It’s all about coming to terms with your inner demons, and understanding your illnesses which are better to talk about in therapy & to a doctor then they are to the echo chamber that is social media. It’s tongue and cheek, but there is a sense of seriousness that harks throughout that begs you to take a step back & look at yourself truly & get the help you need & deserve.”
The Modern Millennial EP finishes on an unexpectedly tender note in the shape of ‘Alchemy’. Staccato vocals intermediate with tip-toeing piano, but as we listen to this vulnerable confession, we can already sense the heat building. That’s when the cathartic breakdown akin to Unrecorded favourite Anna Calvi sweeps in to entirely break down our emotional resolve. LibraLibra probes “do you feel good? do you feel good?” and we search for a listener, but if you’ve survived the past two years at all, you’ve probably also got a few chinks in the armour. What this band does, is carves out a space of acceptance with their cutting lyrics and incinerating compositions.
We’ve also added ‘Moonbeam’ to our Indie Rockers and Outsiders Club playlist.
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