New Politics is an alternative rock band that formed 10 years ago in Copenhagen, Denmark. Their discography includes five studio albums and one non-album single. On November 1st, they released their most recent album just in time for their upcoming concert in at Salt Lake City’s The Complex with Plain White T’s and The Mowglis. Despite the widely recognized diversity of their previous releases, An Invitation to an Alternate Reality is New Politics’ biggest risk-taker yet. The blend between multiple genres of music (dance, EDM, pop — to name a few) is what creates the distinctive alt-rock sound they are known for. In comparison to their other albums, dives further into true pop than any of the previous albums have done; this is New Politics as you’ve never heard them before. Each song evokes different emotions: happiness, anger, stoke (yes, this is an emotion), etc. In other words, strap up for a 26 minute, not all unenjoyable, emotional rollercoaster.

The Songs

The album starts strong with “Unstoppable”, a fierce anthem I could see myself starting my mornings with. Bold trumpets give way to glimpses of reggae beats in this fun fusion of styles. “Ozone”, the most popular song of the album, is catchy, catchy, CATCHY. Just get this refrain: “Can you meet me in the Ozone?” The singing is bouncy, slightly aggressive, and kind of reminds me of a song I used to listen to on repeat when my middle school boyfriend broke up with me (not to be too specific or anything). From someone that listened to lots of this style of rock/pop around when New Politics was founded, I feel qualified in claiming that they keep the style of that era fresh, yet alive. A taste of the late 2000s/early 2010s with an updated sound is a vibe and a half.

My favorite song on the album has to be “Death of Me”, the most badass of them all in my opinion. It talks about the ups and downs of relationships and that bittersweet attraction we have for people. Every time I listen to it, I can’t keep my head from bobbing (actually resisting the urge to get up and dance right now as I’m writing this). Fair warning: “Death of Me” has been stuck in my head for about a week now. If anyone has a cure PLEASE LET ME KNOW. In the meantime, all I can say is that it could be worse.

The only parts of the album I can’t get behind are the poetry and seemingly random voicemails at the end of “Live the Life”, “Let Your Head Go”, and “ Wish You Well”. I respect the inclusion of different mediums of vocal expression and symbolism, but spoken word seems to miss the mark in An Invitation to an Alternate Reality. 

An Invitation to an Alternate Reality is a fun, hip addition to New Politics’ discography. It keeps the listener moving and blends together a strong pop sound with their older alternative rock roots. Check out the album for yourself, and catch them performing with Plain White T’s and The Mowglis at the Complex on November 17th. See ya there!