Home Counties bring us another slice of wonky, wrong-sided, which-way-is-up, pop danceability with ‘Modern Yuppies’. This is their second release since signing to the almighty Alcopop label.
Young Urban Professionals, or ‘Yuppies’ were the butt of a thousand jokes in the 1980s. Shoulder pads you could land a helicopter on, silver briefcases and the ubiquitous Filofax. They were also captured forever in comedy amber by the Alex cartoon strip and Del Boy’s disappearance through the serving hatch of a trendy wine bar in the 1989 Only Fools & Horses episode ‘Yuppy Love’. However, comedy aside, the rise of the Yuppie went hand in hand with the ‘Greed is Good’ mentality with most of their upwardly mobile ranks starting from an already lofty position with the rest as white-socked oiks-made-rich; City Boys rolling around in their own affluence. On ‘Modern Yuppies’ Home Counties draw the comparison between Yuppies then and now and how the shiny arrogance of conservatism has “made way for self-doubt and socially ‘liberal’ political positions” despite, in the end, being “both plagued by the same condition of constantly needing more”.
On show here are more jagged riffs fighting against the nervy swoop of lead vocals and the coffee jitters of guitar, bass and percussion over a broken glass foundation. Undulating synthesiser lines swooze their monophonic way across the track invoking all the angry-nerd-joy of a DEVO track. If this song had a dance, it would be a combination of Ian Curtis in full agitation and Iggy Pop fighting off soldier ants. So, fire up the Quattro, call all your mates on the in-car brick phone and get yourself down to Home Counties’ socially conscious disco, but watch out for the Filofax bonfire in the car park.
Home Counties are: Will Harrison (vocals/guitar), Conor Kearney (guitar/vocals), Barn Peiser Pepin (synth/percussion/vocals), Sam Woodroffe (bass/synth) and Dan Hearn (drums).
For more information on Home Counties and the other great acts on Alcopop! Records head to their Bandcamp page
Review by Paul F Cook