Since the release of its first album, No Kill No Beep Beep, in 2000, Q And Not U has steadily made a name for itself as one of D.C.’s best punk bands. As one of the first groups to start revitalizing the danceable post-punk of ‘80s bands like the Gang of Four, these District hipsters’ sound has evolved according to the loss of its bassist and a series of injuries sustained by its drummer. Regardless of the rhythm section’s gradual deterioration, Power, the band’s brand new LP, continues its bold expansion of traditional, Fugazi-inspired D.C. rock, and makes a solid stepping stone in its climb to greatness.
No Kill No Beep Beep leaned very heavily on the influence of Fugazi, and the fantastic 2002 follow-up Different Damage took that sound in a direction closer to the frenzied art-punk of Les Savy Fav. Power inches even closer to the anti-trendy dance-punk of hipster favorites the Rapture and !!! with the addition of more overtly electronic instrumentation. Synthesizers alternately lay down fuzzy, driving bass lines and spit staccato bleeps and squelches, backed by jittery, concussive drumbeats. Still, Q And Not U is first and foremost a guitar band, but spastic, high pitched jabs largely replace the heavily overdriven punk riffing of the first two albums. “Wet Work” is an insanely catchy party track that captures the manic groove of the band’s live show. The problem with dance-punk, though, is that it gets old fast, and by the 10th song, the beats start to sound canned and the melodies formulaic.
Q And Not U mostly evades this pitfall, though, by keeping the album varied from song to song. “Dine” hearkens back to the ominous undertones of the band’s older material without rehashing and “Book of Flags” is an exhilarating guitar-driven sonic assault that captures the genius of what the band does best: potent, carefully-controlled fury. The band has become less of a traditional D.C. punk band in sound over the years, but it retains and reinvigorates the spirit that made local bands like Minor Threat, Fugazi and the Dismemberment Plan latter-day rock heroes.
Power is alternately catchy and militant, remaining dynamically propulsive throughout. The album is a great fusion of aggressive post-punk and jarring, danceable electro, although whether it will stand the test of time as well as Q And Not U’s other albums remains to be seen. The band’s best album so far is still Different Damage, but it has taken another big step towards establishing itself as the best group in the district today.
