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The music of These New Puritans has significantly evolved beyond the raw post-punk sound of the band that inspired their name, yet they align ideologically with the Fall: the belief that music-making should be an all-encompassing endeavor defined by constant innovation and diligent effort. Brothers Jack and George Barnett approach their art with a level of boldness that borders on recklessness, producing music characterized by grand aspirations, meticulous production standards, and no compromises for commercial appeal—something achievable for those with considerable resources, but quite a challenge for working-class self-taught musicians from the Essex coast.
Yet, these creative gambles are yielding results. The discography of These New Puritans creates an impressive trajectory—each album distinct, often planting the seeds for the next. After a detour into romantic Berlin art pop with 2019’s Inside the Rose, their fifth album, Crooked Wing, revisits themes explored in the subdued, neoclassical Field of Reeds from 2013. Once again, production is handled by Graham Sutton—former leader of British post-rockers Bark Psychosis, now an unofficial third member of the New Puritans—resulting in a collection of intricately orchestrated chamber music that draws inspiration from figures like Benjamin Britten and Steve Reich, as well as the indie rock legacy. The album utilizes a range of instruments—bells, piano, pipe organ, glockenspiel, and various brass—that have seen little evolution over decades, if not centuries. However, These New Puritans are undoubtedly a modernist endeavor, focused on establishing their unique aesthetic rather than reveling in nostalgia.
A key element of the Barnetts’ success is their ability to unite diverse talents under their creative banner. Crooked Wing features an impressive guest list, including Caroline Polachek, who joins Jack on the lead single “Industrial Love Song,” and actor Alexander Skarsgård, who appears in the video for “A Season in Hell.” However, fame offers no special status in the realm of These New Puritans, where such high-profile contributions coexist with a broader mix of talents, such as Canadian soprano Patricia Auchterlonie; Chris Laurence, a seasoned double bassist with an extensive history in British jazz and classical music; and Alex Miller, a 10-year-old member of the Southend Boys Choir. Miller’s voice—both delicate and powerful, innocent yet intriguingly timeless—is the first thing we hear on Crooked Wing, echoing in the opening track “Waiting,” and returns at the end, as the lyrics of that song are revisited in the closing track “Return.” He is accompanied by an organ recorded at St Mary’s and All Saints Church in Stambridge, an instrument previously played by the Barnetts’ grandfather—another indication of how These New Puritans’ music aspires to blend past and present, intertwining the ancient with the contemporary.
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