When resistance subtly turns into tragedy
At last, another political protest song that doesn’t immediately shout at you and make you feel aggressive yourself. Subtly denouncing something is more my thing, and Clawfoot pull this off very well with their new track “Poison in the Bread”. Although, strictly speaking, this is more of a musical tragedy.
In terms of content, the track follows a clear, chronological structure: from the actual crime, the poisoning, through the escape and isolation in the wilderness, right up to the tragic discovery and the protagonist’s violent end. The band themselves compare their sound to greats such as Le Tigre and Boy Harsher. Even though the elements of classic electroclash seem quite minimal to my ears, the track wins you over with its atmospheric density. The pulsating synths and the hypnotic repetition, which the band themselves highlight as central, perfectly reflect the tension of the chase.
The result is a haunting, cinematic narrative about Zinaida Portnova that completely draws me in. However, I find it extremely difficult to pigeonhole the sound definitively, which is why I tend to see the whole thing as falling within the broader genre of indietronic. A powerful piece that transforms resistance against fascism into a gripping, tragic anthem.
Listen to "Clawfoot – Poison In The Bread" on Spotify
Listen to "Clawfoot – Poison In The Bread" on Bandcamp
Lyrics of "Clawfoot – Poison In The Bread"
Sickness by her hand
Sickness to the man
Did you tell anyone?
Collecting and hiding
She's on the run, on the run
Did you tell anyone?
Poison in the bread
100 dead and gone
100 underground
Did you tell anyone?
17, it's winter
They're trying to kill her
Did you tell anyone?
Poison in the bread
Poison in the bread
Poison in the bread
Fascist be fed
Poison in the bread
Poison in the bread
Poison in the bread
Fascist be fed
On the run
Has the gun
In the woods
By the river
Caught alone
Sent a letter
It delivered
Family read
Nazi found it
Then he killed her
Poison in the bread
Poison in the bread
Poison in the bread
Fascist be fed
Poison in the bread
Poison in the bread
Poison in the bread
Fascist be fed
