"Bradford" by Polite Bureaux is as unmistakable as a scrawled tag on a multi-storey car park in the city centre, a shout in the face that cannot be ignored. Already attracting the ears of BBC Introducing West Yorkshire and Sheffield's tastemaker, Emily Pilbeam, the spoken word post-punk track doesn't just allude to its namesake, but it becomes it.
"Bradford" is not the usual hometown anthem but more eulogy than celebration, and done in a resigned, near-spoken vocal manner that sounds like you are listening to a poet's last orders at a low-lit bar. There's nothing romantic about it. Polite Bureaux reveals a grimy side of Bradford and the people who frequent its streets, tearing down the layers of culture, decay, willpower, and contradiction. The song vacillates between awe and grim realism, epitomizing a city that was bruised and buzzing at the same time.
The band fuses jagged post-punk grit with a twitchy electronica undercurrent, reminiscent of Joy Division, on a synth-powered adrenaline rush. The effect is stark and cinematic, with tension building by the measure as layers start to unfold and the storytelling intensifies. It's a sound that transcends genre lines and was born from lived experience and artistic urgency.
The band's fourth studio album, "EXCEPT YOUR SKINT," will be released on 11th April 2025. Made in partnership with Bradford 2025 City of Culture, the track couldn't have landed at a better moment. And as the city assumes its cultural spotlight, Polite Bureaux is offering an unvarnished take from the inside out: a story that reveals how actual cultural production often stews in the cracks. Whether you're a Yorkshireman or have a soft spot for an underdog, there's something undeniably compelling about that.
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