The Sound, Auckland NZ, 2020

The Sound

17th January 2020
Neck of The World, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Ali Nicholls. Photography by Connor Crawford.

Pioneers of the post-punk era The Sound have long been regarded as one of the most influential and under-celebrated bands to emerge from Britain. For the first time, with the support of Malcom Foster (of Simple Minds and The Pretenders) and locals John Kempt and David Parry, drummer Mike Dudley reincarnated The Sound for a one-off show at Auckland’s Neck of the Woods.

Emerging from the pieces of punk group The Outsiders, The Sound have been deserving of their place among the founders of British post-punk since their critically acclaimed debut album Jeopardy in 1980. Leaving behind the aggravated, agitating political punches of early punk released during the largest socioeconomic reforms in the UK since the industrial era, The Sound embody the cultural shift that saw British youth of the late 70s enter a golden era of brooding angst, emotional turmoil, and stories of isolation. In comparison to the chilling monotone of Ian Curtis (of Joy Division) or the clapping drum kicks of Echo and The Bunnymen, The Sound’s sound feels more introspective, and tempered to an internal monologue rather than attempting to speak to its audience. But as the post-punk genre has evolved, its resilience demonstrated, The Sound’s deeply personal roots have proven to be more resonant than ever.

Adrian Borland’s suicide in 1999 brought new meaning to The Sound’s knack in capturing the nuances of depression. During his life as both the vocalist and songwriter, Borland’s lyrics were highly regarded amongst critics but remained largely shadowed by the extravagant poetics of the likes of Morrissey and other giants of the genre. His vocal style too, cutting through the swelling synths of the tracks with an unpretentious clarity, was perhaps too ordinary and unassuming to be recognised by the community that built post-punk. Dedicating last night’s gig to Borland, vocalist John Kempt stayed true to the style that was so highly acclaimed upon its release and which has undoubtedly stood the test of time.

Playing titles largely from their most celebrated full-length album From the Lion’s Mouth, the unique incarnation of The Sound that has only existed once (and is unlikely to come together again) performed a set that demonstrated the tenacity of their style.

I was initially sceptical about The Sound reincarnating without Borland. Since his suicide it has been his unique perspective that has endured more so than any other aspect of the band’s music. However, from the opening song it was clear that the true strength of Borland’s work is not in its uniqueness to his experience, but to the feelings that he was able to tap into within his listeners. ‘Silent Air’ kicked off the set, pulling the crowd down from the boisterous kiwi rock of openers Voom into the cool and pensive personal focus that was The Sound’s most iconic contribution to music of the era.

‘Fatal Flaw’ follows, and then ‘Contact the Fact’; we hear the pent-up anguish start to manifest in jangling guitar riffs, smacking drum kicks, and guttural vocals. David Parry moves the keyboard sounds from a swirling aura of navel-gazing to the sharp and elevating drive synonymous with the likes of The Cure. ‘Possession’, ‘The Fire’, and ‘New Dark Age’ are all powerfully delivered and received by the crowd with equal parts admiration and solipsism. This is music that speaks to everyone personally.

The set lilts somewhat as we are moved into Borland’s love songs; ‘Total Recall’ and ‘Hand of Love’ are no less nuanced in their emotional range, but the songs seem to lose some of their integrity when the focus shifts from the self to the other. ‘Skeletons’ and ‘Prove Me Wrong’ kick off, with the clashing tensions of emotions from The Sound’s repertoire coming right back to centre.

‘Winning’, The Sound’s most well known track, sets a fire under the crowd. Everyone sings along; “I was gonna drown, but then I started swimming. I was going down, but then I started winning.” The track embodies The Sound’s unique and timeless perspective. Despite lyrics that stir hope and determination, there is an underlying desperation, a discontentment, and a fear of failure that prevents the track from becoming just another cheesy pop-punk party anthem. And the band delivers it with as much intensity and authenticity as on the record.

The set moves away from From the Lion’s Mouth through other albums, with classics like ‘I Can’t Escape Myself’ from their first album Jeopardy. The set closes with ‘Missiles’. The song pays homage to the punk origins of the band, rallying against the industry of war and destruction. But despite it being a somewhat unexpected closing number for the set, it’s a strong demonstration that despite The Sound having a distinctive sound, their work is as various and exploratory as any other artist from their cultural niche.

The rendition of The Sound that we saw at Neck of the Woods may not have been the original line-up of the group. But the spirit of The Sound was as palpable as ever. A special mention should be given to John Kempt whose vocals were a personal and heartfelt nod to Adrian Borland. Given their critical prestige but absence of commercial success, The Sound have lasted remarkably well.

But they should not only be remembered for their influence; as they displayed last night, the sound of The Sound has so much to offer of its own.

Were you there at Neck Of The Woods for this brilliant post-punk act? Or have you seen The Sound perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Setlist:

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