Heatwave

Negative Nancies exist in their own universe, sounding unlike anything else happening in Dunedin or in New Zealand past or present. The songs are created organically in the rehearsal room, through an evolution of experimentation. In amongst the art-punk chaos there’s an irrepressible undercurrent of pop melodicism. Negative Nancies don’t play by anyone’s rules. Songs unfold in unusual ways. Sombre glory, impish mischief. Wired anxiety, manic glee. It makes sense until it doesn’t any more. And vice versa. It’s not so much Dada as Dunedin-a, filtering observations about everyday human behaviour through a unique appreciation of the absurd and a wild-yeast approach to organic song creation and performance. They don’t want to be banned, they just want to play in a band. Forbes Williams's recording here once again brings out all the fizzing unsteady danger and punk energy of the band. HEATWAVE sounds like it was recorded in a concrete basement with power cords running through puddles of water, everything crackling with live arcing electricity and a sense of impending danger.