If you’re craving music that kicks complacency in the teeth, Polite Bureaux’s latest single “BRADFORD” is a snarling, genre-blurring anthem that refuses to play nice. Released January 24th ahead of their album ‘EXCEPT YOUR SKINT’ (out April 11th), this track is a fist-pumping collision of gritty spoken-word venom and jagged electronic beats—a love letter to the band’s Northern roots and a middle finger to austerity Britain.
Frontman Joe Smith—the band’s broken-beat architect and lyrical firestarter—channels the unflinching spirit of punk-poet legend John Cooper Clarke, spitting truths about life in a fractured system. His delivery is all Northern grit, weaving his Filipino Malay and Irish heritage into verses that feel ripped from the streets of Bradford itself. But this isn’t a solo act. Onstage, Smith’s “blood sister” Maya Lili (Ying to his Yang) and “raver” Viv Maher turn the energy into chaos, blending primal rhythms with synth-soaked rebellion. They’re a live-wire trio that turns gigs into sweat-drenched sermons.
Smith delivers a visceral experience, on disillusionment and resilience with a sharp tongue and a heart full of fire. The words relate with anyone who’s ever felt the weight of the world pressing down, yet they’re wrapped in a sound that invites you to dance in the chaos. The pulsating beats and jagged synths create a frenetic backdrop that mirrors the urgency of the message, making it impossible to stand still.
Polite Bureaux is a beacon of raw, unfiltered artistry. “BRADFORD” is more than any single; but a cry for the disenchanted, a celebration of cultural roots, and a reminder that music can still be a powerful force for change. This is rock-n-roll in its purest form—unapologetic, vibrant, and utterly unforgettable!