‘Military Standard’ is aggressive and loud and noisy, a perfect reflection of today’s political climate.
Matt Carter
Politics and music? Can these two forces coexist? Yes. Yes they can.
With their latest release, Military Standard, Saint John’s avant-garde, punk rock, experimental noise, insert-other-poorly-attempted-genre-title-here collective USSE rage against the powers that be with this short, vital EP that perfectly reflects the unrest we’re all living through at this very moment (and have been for far too long).
With sharp jabs at the police(d) state, the ongoing dispute over Indigenous rights currently unfolding in Nova Scotia and across the country and the general political climate at home in the Maritimes, USSE continue to prove their worth, using their craft to highlight the plights of others in an attempt to remind us how interconnected we all are.
I have a friend who frequently says, “Let’s talk about anything besides politics and religion.” USSE are the opposite, choosing instead to remind us at every turn that our political choices – whether we want to admit it or not – continue to guide policy and focus while fueling continued bias, racism and discrimination.
You may call their music “noise”, but at least they’re kicking up a stink. What have you done?
