Their debut disc Beat Pyramid is being alternately praised and panned for the pummeling rhythms of its high-concept post-punk sounds, pretentiously cryptic lyrics and repetitive themes, but These New Puritans seem to be getting nothing but praise for their live sets.

The English youngsters wrap up their first headlining US tour with three West Coast dates this week, and while their set in Chicago Saturday didn’t exactly blow the roof off Subterranean, that seemed to be more due to the sparse crowd than the energy and sounds emanating from the stage.

Jack Barnett couldn’t stay still while bouncing between his guitar, a set of pedals and effects on the floor and of course the microphone where he chanted out his terse inquisitory lyrics while clad in his odd shirt of metallic “feathers”. With his brother George providing the punch from a drum kit loaded with extra toms, Sophie Sleigh-Johnson hiding in the back behind a laptop and controller and Thomas Hein switching off between a bass and a sampler, each member of the band played a part.

But clearly this was Jack’s show and his demonstrative performance brought gravity to songs like “Numerology (AKA Numbers)” and “Swords of Truth” while turning a bit more playful on “Elvis” and never staying in one spot for any length of time. It was easy to see why this band is being hailed as a next big thing back across the pond, even if they haven’t quite caught on with the masses here in the Midwest.

If you’re on the West Coast you can check them out for yourself here:
Monday, Jun 16 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
Tuesday, Jun 17 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Thursday, Jun 19 – San Francisco, CA @ Popscene
Saturday, Jun 21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex

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