Limited to just 300 Copies and a Rough Trade tip for 2019. Formed in Glasgow in 2016, Public Service combine scythe-like guitar with a guttural howl that seems forged in some unimaginable, primordial pain-swamp. With a Wipers-esque insistence in the rhythm section and gothic atmosphere perpetuated by lashings of chorus and reverb, Public Service's debut E.P. fuses Banshees-style hooks with a full-throated punk dynamism. I'm Gonna Kill That Manis Public Service's debut studio recording proper and is an extended meditation on power relations in interpersonal relationships, 3 songs that chart the paradoxes and contradictions in relating to people, the processes involved in othering and psychological self-defence. Multi-layered and full of symbolism, I'm Gonna Kill That Man can be read as a treatise on mistrust of men and fear of manipulation but at its core Public Service's central feeling of universal dread and transcendence through expression translates directly to the listener. Our take: Debut 7” from this Scottish band, released on a new label connected to the band Anxiety (the one on La Vida Es Un Mus, not the Boston one). I’m a big skeptic regarding modern bands influenced by the post-punk classics, but there’s no denying Public Service’s power on this EP. While a lot of bands dress up boring punk songs with a chorus pedal and a disco beat, Public Service bring together the melodic flourishes of prime-era Siouxsie and the Banshees with the dark quirkiness of Christian Death. The atmosphere is more creepy than gloomy, and the main things that stick out on the first few listens are the chiming, John McGeoch-esque guitar playing and quivering, creepy-sounding vocals that sound a lot like Rozz Williams. More importantly, though, the songwriting is spot-on. For me, there are legions of post-punk soundalikes and there are bands like Pleasure Leftists or Savages (well, on their first album at least) that have as much substance as style. Based on this EP, I’m inclined to let Public Service into that club. I’ve been playing the heck out of this EP, and I hope that one day I get to hear what this band does with a full-length.
