Formerly known as 24 Hour Party People,
this Beijing-based trio have been steadily honing their skills for
the past five years and now enjoy a reputation as one of the city’s
tightest and most frenetic live acts. Having joined the ranks of
the ever-expanding Maybe Mars roster, this eight-track debut effort
was produced by none other than Martin Atkins (Ministry, PiL), who
travelled to Beijing in 2008 to sign and record some of the most
impressive up-and-comers of the Chinese underground scene.
The most cursory of listens indicates
that the album’s title, aside from referencing the band’s change of
name, is entirely tongue in cheek; if there’s one thing 24 Hours
know how to do, it’s get the partay started. An impressive amalgam
of alternative pop, razor sharp licks and chirpy bubblegum choruses,
all of which often feature in the same song, this 28-minute LP is
both spirited and refreshingly free from pretense. Catchy, whimsical
standout My Sir is uncannily reminiscent of The Grates, down
its cheerily inane chorus of “You can be the one, my sir, you get to
hold me now,” and Fuzz opens with a military drumbeat and the
chipper accompaniment of a gym whistle, before getting down to
business with some muscular riffs and a vocal performance as raucous
and energetic as any on the album. Guitarist Ren Yilan channels the
spirit of Franz Ferdinand, particularly on Your Song, and the
clever interplay of his double-tracked guitars complements the
varied approach of bassist/vocalist Zheng Chen, who alternately
hoots, howls and harmonises as the occasion demands.
By all reports Atkins’ production fails to truly capture the energy
of the 24 Hours live experience, and some of the songs do come
across a little thin in places. While Chen and drummer Li Guanyu do
their best to propel things on the rhythm front, at times the bass
is all but inaudible and the cymbals come across a little muddy and
indistinct. Minor deficiencies aside however, No Party People
is a fun and durable debut, and a neat encapsulation of the
contemporary Chinese garage aesthetic.
