The Delta Block, A Sleeping Nation

I was listening to The Delta Block’s A Sleeping Nation in the car when, in the middle of one of the songs, the CD started skipping. But I didn’t realize it until maybe thirty seconds later, when I stared down at the display and noticed the track numbers going wonky. I left it skipping for a bit and listened to the clipped loop of noise, noting how eerily identical it sounded to a minute earlier, when the CD was playing fine. No wonder I didn’t notice. Fast, abrasive, and indecipherable seem to be the common threads track by track.

When words are actually audible, it’s clear they’re attempting some sort of political commentary, but more often than not, the lyrics seem as elementary and ineffective (“Fuck you imperialists / Fuck me I’m a consumer whore” — yawn). The overall impression, then, is a very one-dimensional politi-punk band who has settled for decent-at-best riffs and some weak jabs at the government. They’ll have to do better than that if they want to get their message, whatever it is, across.