The Cops' "Modern Black Flats" is the sound of righteous indignation — a sinewy, seductive bit of rage against the corrupt machinations of commerce that's as danceable as it is incendiary.
From the splintering guitars that open the song to the ominous outro, The Cops' members give "Modern Black Flats" a sonic fury to match the lyrical one. It's enough to make anyone who "always wanted to dance / with that knee-jerk jerk and his hard-line stance" run for the hills, because an anthem this musically persuasive could well incite a revolution.
As jagged guitars weave in and out of each other like thorny vines, Michael Jaworski's vocals start out as emotionless as the prey he's stalking. By the end, this gang of five has whipped itself into a frenzy before signing off with a sonic smoke signal — a rhythmic call for revolution to set hearts and fists pumping.
Listen to yesterday's 'Song of the Day.'
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.