Having enraptured the masses at SXSW this year, Protokoll launch their debut single upon us. Moving Forward is perhaps something of a misleading title; Protokoll evidently have a large quantity of post-punk and Goth records circa 1981 tucked away at home, and really there's little evidence of moving forward at all. Still, why bother when you've got the sound nailed down this convincingly?
They do the whole dark and serious thing very well, Ian Curtis styled vocals arrive on cue courtesy of Jose Lara while the song thunders along at a cracking pace. By now, if you're not familiar with the formula we'll have to assume that you've been locked under your stairs for the last four years. Shimmering guitars sparkle behind the deadpan vocal delivery and a taut bass line rumbles like a subway train as the song heads towards an fairly uncharacteristic breakdown mid song. Normal service is quickly resumed, and only an idiot would say that this isn't a great song.
Although Protokoll may well find themselves struggling in an already crowded genre, they should have little trouble establishing themselves as the band everyone knows as the new Interpol within weeks.
