See You in the Past

It’s hard not to pick up a Devo vibe from Inspired, the newest EP from Brooklyn’s Future Punx. Future Punx describes themselves as “post wave,” and this is a perfect description for the style of music they play. While many punk bands have taken the post-punk route in their music, Future Punx has refreshingly taken the 80s new wave path and it has worked strongly in their favor. Upbeat, quirky, and filled with beeps and synth, Inspired, is exactly what punk that has been influenced by new wave should sound in 2014.

Inspired is only four songs long, but it still manages to pack a punch as an entire record, with each song standing strongly on its own. The record opens with “I’m So Inspired,” which sounds like it could be on any classic Talking Heads record. The next song “Plus Side” begins with a riff that sounds like it was ripped straight from an early version of Devo’s “Girl U Want,” but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Rather than sounding like they can’t create original music and must steal from earlier musicians’ work, Future Punx are the homage to a fun and unique moment in music that at least a few of us have been waiting around for. Inspired isn’t exclusively a throwback, though. The final two songs, “Forgive the Doubt” and “See You in the Future” both illustrate the futuristic element one might expect from a band called Future Punx.

There have been a number of revivals in rock music lately, but few bands have decided to try and bring back the new wave sound. With Inspired, Future Punx have given punk fans the new wave update we never knew we needed. For older new wave fans looking to relive their glory days in the 80s and younger punk trying to hear something unexpected in their music, this record should come as an exciting breath of fresh air.