Rock/Review 9 o'clock Nasty - Crowland
9 o'clock Nasty is emerging, glistening from the plague pits of Leicester. They play with glitter, and they take no prisoners. Relentless and yet full of love, they take a side-eyed look at the world and punish it with driving beats and mild sarcasm.
"Crowland" by 9 o'clock Nasty unveils a dystopian soundscape that feels eerily close to reality, creating a fictional place that serves as a stark reflection of uncomfortable truths. In this sonic exploration, "Crowland" emerges as a metaphorical space where time distorts, reality warps, and societal constructs take a dark and disturbing turn.
The song paints a vivid picture of "Crowland" as a place where clocks drift backward, symbolizing a regression and stagnation in societal progress. The limited television channels featuring patriotic music and old Shakespeare classics is a controlled narrative, carefully managed to shape the worldview of the inhabitants. This fictional setting becomes a chilling allegory for a world where information is curated to serve the interests of a ruling class.
The lyrics delve into the meticulously constructed facade of "Crowland," where the wet dreams of geriatric ruling classes have materialized. The track explores themes of manipulation, control, and the suppression of dissent. The reference to flooded playgrounds as relics of a time when well-being mattered adds a poignant layer, hinting at the loss of innocence and genuine care for the people in this dystopian reality.
"Crowland" makes a judgment on the application of violence and alien fears to control people. The effort to use contradictions explicitly marks this imagined world as disorienting by remembering that “what is up, goes down” and the need for caution in maintaining a compliant position of being still. The song exposes the audience to harsh inconvenient truths about struggle for power, societal control and unbridled authority.
On the level of music, this dystopian quality is underscored by sound ‘ingredients’, which reflect disturbing storytelling. Despite the considerable thematic weight of this lyrical piece, an aural landscape is created through attention to arrangement, tone and pace.
Conclusively, "Crowland" by 9 o'clock Nasty is a riveting and harrowing glimpse into the imagination of an artist who reflects on uncomfortable realities from his imaginary cruel dystopia. By questioning societal norms, the use of its descriptive lyrics and atmospheric composition create a mood that makes the listener contemplate on what vulnerable aspects these normal structures have to offer. From a sonic storytelling perspective alone, "Crowland" is simply powerful—a warning about the dangers of human subjection and dominance narratives.