Hidden is not just the most original record to emerge from Britain this year, but the most unfathomable: an immaculate enigma.
Despite the handful of standout tracks, what makes Hidden unique is the way it flows as a cohesive whole.
Hidden’s magic is in the details – a sharpened blade sound effect here, an ominous oboe line there – which creates an often chilling atmosphere.
Hidden won’t change British indie, but it should obliterate all expectations as far as These New Puritans are concerned.
This record is a tremendous achievement, but in the end, the grandeur of Hidden can be a little much to take in all at once.
Here we are not even two years later and the band has taken a huge leap forward. Or, more accurately, sideways. Nothing in the angular post-punk of 08’s Beat Pyramid suggested the band was capable of something this novel.
Difficult to pin down, Hidden is even harder to forget.
Pounding, thrumming and pulsing from beginning to end (save for some beautifully sedate arrangements from a brass and woodwind ensemble), Hidden employs bass and percussion like indigenous drums of war.
There’s no doubt Hidden could have so easily been a sprawling mess, but it’s unified by its drive towards something entirely original, and it succeeds. Like all breaks from the past it feels uncomfortable at first, but soon you’ll wonder when the rest of the world is going to catch up.
Ultimately, Hidden is the sound of an ambitious young band as eager to use every tool at its disposal as it is to avoid studiously doing what's been done before.
These New Puritans are still figuring out the right balance, but Hidden remains an impressive step forward.
Whatever its flaws, Hidden stands as a bracingly original statement from a band entirely too new to have this many good ideas. Come December, it may not make any “best of” lists, but it’s certainly one of the most fascinating albums we’re likely to see this year.
Hidden would be unbearably pretentious if Barnett and crew didn’t execute their mission with such wild-eyed determination. Instead, it’s a chilling thrill.
Hidden, the young British group’s sophomore full-length, was made much in the same vein as 2007’s Beat Pyramid, but at times it’s even less coherent.
Imagine if Swans and Xiu Xiu made a millenial pop album together and were more aggressively british, and you have a good idea of what this sounds like. This album frequently feels like a drag more than anything worth listening to. What few good ideas it does have are generally drowned out by the annoying things in the production.
Fave tracks: Time Xone
Least fave track: Attack Music or White Chords
Fantastic post-punk record. These New Puritans came out of nowhere for me. I recall one of their songs playing on the Spotify artist radio and I had to check this out. It's really great. The album carries this minimal dark vibe throughout. Nothing really sounds like what they're trying to do, it's like post-punk stripped down... tribal post-punk? Anywho, this is awesome and I highly recommend it for anyone who is a fan of New Order, Sleaford Mods, Talking Heads or goth music in general. ... read more
This is the kind of record that transports us to a grand venue, even if we're sitting at home in our comfy armchair. The production is clear and majestic, the orchestration is grandiose, and the details in every song are both raw and flawless. I don't know why but when I listen to this record I always think of Peter Greenway.
Imagine if Swans and Xiu Xiu made a millenial pop album together and were more aggressively british, and you have a good idea of what this sounds like. This album frequently feels like a drag more than anything worth listening to. What few good ideas it does have are generally drowned out by the annoying things in the production.
Fave tracks: Time Xone
Least fave track: Attack Music or White Chords
1 | Time Xone 2:06 | 76 |
2 | We Want War 7:23 | 66 |
3 | Three Thousand 2:49 | 69 |
4 | Hologram 2:22 | 71 |
5 | Attack Music 4:48 | 74 |
6 | Fire-Power 3:20 | 63 |
7 | Orion 4:31 | 64 |
8 | Canticle 1:12 | 68 |
9 | Drum Courts-Where Corals Lie 6:14 | 57 |
10 | White Chords 3:42 | 59 |
11 | 5 4:30 | 72 |
#1 | / | NME |
#4 | / | The Quietus |
#5 | / | The Guardian |
#6 | / | Drowned in Sound |
#8 | / | DIY |
#8 | / | Gigwise |
#10 | / | Clash |
#12 | / | Uncut |
#17 | / | The Line of Best Fit |
#35 | / | FACT Magazine |