That Hidden Promise refused to rebel against hegemony while wearing anyone else’s uniform in Lifeform; rock and punk may be rife with refusals to fall in line, but not spotting the irony in how they are doing exactly that by emulating their pioneers and contemporaries is its own form of post-modern irony. That Hidden Promise, aka Wayne Lee, dropped an earworm that is as ready for stadiums as mainstream radio, shaking up the static in the same vein as Kula Shaker while delivering the same sticky-sweet protestive power as the Manic Street Preachers.
Lifeform leaves everything a little rough around the edges as a nod to the surge of authenticity following the proto-punk movement. As the lead single from the forthcoming second That Hidden Promise album, it calls for colour, connection and meaning inside systems designed to control, exploit and promote herd mentality. Written, mixed, mastered, programmed and performed entirely by Lee, the single carries its anti-conformist message through every self-made contour.
What will undoubtedly be one of the most kinetic singles of the year, Lifeform is almost scarily efficacious in its ability to convince you to shake off the pressure of conformity that weighs down your soul as you attempt to be the perfect conformist in a clusterfuck of an imperfect world. With the swagger of the alt-90s running right through the sun-bleached optics of the track, you can’t help but feel more carefree by the outro.
Lifeform is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.
Review by Amelia Vandergast