Blindness & Light just dropped “Fly Paper,” a gnarly, retro-fueled garage-punk rager. This is the track of a band—or more accurately, a fiercely independent collective—plugging in, turning up, and directing the revolutionary spirit of the ’60s Nuggets compilations straight into the modern era. It’s a dysfunctional love song for a dysfunctional world, and it’s absolutely brilliant.
Blindness & Light operates as a sprawling, informal collective of post-punk veterans stretching from Anglesey to Japan. For “Fly Paper,” however, they’ve localised the talent. At the core is Colin M Potter, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist who provides the track’s venomous heart. Then comes the secret weapon: Henry Priestman, a certified Farfisa legend, whose manic keyboard lines are the “icing on the cake,” drenching the track in a swirling, psychedelic haze that is pure ear candy. Holding the low-end with a relentless, driving groove is Rob Griffiths on bass, while Glenn Welman smashes the hell out of the drums. This is a crew that knows its history and plays it with pissed-off precision.
On the surface, the song is a searing metaphor for a toxic, co-dependent relationship where it’s impossible to tell “who’s the abused and who’s the abuser.” But the band pulls no punches, revealing the real target: it’s a scathing observation of dysfunctional political blocs across the globe. The genius is in the question they pose: “Are we the fly or the fly paper?” It’s a heady, provocative concept delivered with punk rock conciseness.
This is the first taste of Blindness & Light’s third album, due next summer, and it screams they still don’t “give a damn about what’s trending.” “Fly Paper” is a sticky, snarling, and brilliantly chaotic blast of rebellion.