Hot off the trail of club-hating banger ‘Uptight’, Home Counties return with ‘You Break It, You Bought It’. The newest release takes more of the band’s synth-heavy dance punk and points it at London’s landlords and the overall state of housing these days. When you can pay over £300 a month for a parking space, and nearly a grand for a double bedroom, you know it’s fucked.
Taking influence from the likes of Gang Of Four and Talking Heads, Home Counties have perfected the balance between delivering sarcastic barbwired lyrics against effortlessly catchy instrumentals. ‘You Break It, You Bought It’ is no exception, as it slips into a groovy tempo-filled flurry of percussion, sketchy guitars and synthesisers that pulsate right down to the toes. It attacks the hips just as hard as landlords try to take your deposit over the most minor of issues, so with lines such as ‘lynching landlords in my dreams’, it makes for satisfying listening.
The new single is exciting, energetic, and always on the move. Home Counties harness the over the top-ness of Confidence Man and plug it into the steely vocal delivery of LCD Soundsystem to deliver another hit that is hard to remove from the brain.
With their debut album Exactly As It Seems set to arrive on 3rd May, Home Counties have really nailed every single heard from it so far. They take aim at various issues and rightfully call them out in the most entertaining of ways. Who doesn’t want to be able to dance while also throwing middle fingers at the housing crisis? Or at paying £7 for a pint? Home Counties have become a real favourite of mine this year, and I am eagerly anticipating the upcoming album.