New Politicians capture the angsty, stick-it-to-the-man mentality that defines the guitar and synth-heavy post-punk genre in their second EP, Drag a City. The quartet of New Jersey natives harness a strong voice in the form of vocalist Renal Anthony and provide a background of significantly guitar-laden accompaniment from bassist Winston Mitlo, guitarist/vocalist Gian Cortese as well as Anthony himself. Evan Glickman serves as the pulse of the action as drummer. They use the four-track EP to remind their listeners of the music introduced in their first EP, “Alpha Decay,” as well as recruit new fans by delivering a refined, professional sound. For lack of a full-length record, it’s not a bad start.
Drag a City begins with the catchy “The Length of Our Love,” where a medley of dreamy guitar chords supported by a pulsing beat deliver Anthony’s crooning ode to the length of his love — for which he would tear down a city. It’s hard not to get lost in the pretty combination of instruments and voice and pay less attention to what Anthony is saying in favor of how he is saying it. It is quite easily the catchiest track on the EP and would likely serve well as a single.
The EP transitions into a similar sounding “Sail Away” where Anthony describes his love as plucky guitar chords set the tone. The most captivating part comes at the end when Anthony repeats a hypnotizing plea, “Take me home/ Sail away, away from here” as guitars and drum form a lovely, equally-hypnotizing cushion to the lyrics.
Drag a City picks up with “Are We the Dining Dead,” which is the most anthem-like song on the track. A call to awareness, the band pronounces their lives lonely because of their mistakes and lies. They offer up causes for their own unhappiness and hint that they have no other choice but to live their lives this way. Whether this is a cop-out or revealing of facts about their personal lives and journeys and the obstacles they have faced is unclear. Regardless, it will likely serve to form a bond between all those with similar outlooks, collectively nodding their heads and raising their fists at the unfairness of it all.
The EP closes with the track for which is is named: “Drag a City.” The song winds up slowly, building with short drum rolls to a soft promise to a lover to drag a city down, akin to Anthony’s love declaration in “The Length of our Love.” One thing’s for sure: the lover is worth fighting for. Once again, the instruments provide a great accompaniment to Anthony’s crooning. It’s fun to listen to and be swept away by the melody.
Put together, the New Politicians’s Drag a City contains a solid array of contents that blend well together and create a pretty package.
