Hard Times Furious Dancing in Bloomington, MN

Hard Times Furious Dancing
is the fourth studio album from electronic/punk band
Snapped Ankles
, following the release of 2021's
Forest of Your Problems
. This record sees the group once again addressing society's problems through the lens of dance music, tackling the cost-of-living crisis and corrupt world leaders with off-kilter electronic grooves. The riotous opening track, "Pay the Rent," is somewhere between full-on rave sounds and grimy post-punk, with live drumming in the vein of
Gang of Four
bouncing along with bumpy, high-tempo programmed drums and acidic synth lines. An anxious, simmering riff provides the backbone for "Personal Responsibilities" as spoken vocals spit a metered diatribe about how little corporations and the super-wealthy care about the working class. "Raoul" is similar, with a beefy synthetic bass line pushing the song along hypnotically while class disparity is buried in waves of effects and processing.
stays in this gear for most of its run time, with harshly rendered, overdriven electronics and sentiments of political and societal disdain posing as good-times dance music. There's lots of tension with very little release here, but that's not to say the album is devoid of fun. "Smart World" is sassy and explosive, and one of the hookier moments on the album with its mid-'90s high-energy rave pop instrumental and crossed-wire melodies.
remain bristly and wild as they move even further into electronic territory.
is as much a mission statement here as an album title, and the band deliver unfiltered reports on the challenges of the modern world, as well as an invitation to the dancefloor as a place to shake loose some of the stress of those challenges. ~ TiVo Staff