The once universal notion that computers and artificial intelligence would free humans from the grind of work, improve our security and lead to increased leisure time is now the stuff of fantasy. As the PR notes for this album point out: “Work is changing. Robots are replacing us. Capitalism is fracturing.” The first two statements are true; the third is more a hope than a reality.
The male-female duo behind these nine protest songs for the digital age are also part of the Canadian ‘folk-garage’ band ‘The Burning Hell’ whose best known tune is ‘Fuck The Government I Love You’.
As with that band, Som’s sardonic and sarcastic lyrics are delivered with deadpan aplomb and Sharratt’s deceptively sweet vocals soften the cynical edges.
The songs are witty, wise and warped in the same way as The Magnetic Fields’ love songs are. Yet beneath the humour is a rage against the machines as humans are forced to confront increasingly malevolent technologies.
In Monitors an office worker does battle with a virtual office assistant while in The Robots vs Mrs Patel , Mrs P is a binary Robin Hood who reprograms automated supermarket checkout systems to bankrupt the franchise owners.
Two Jeffs pitches good versus evil. Amazon boss, Jeff Bezoz, is the villain of the piece whose exploitation of workers in his workplaces has been well documented. The consequences of this are personified by Jeff Lockhart Jr. an Amazon temp who died of a heart attack while on a long night shift at the Chester, Virginia, warehouse in 2013. The album is dedicated to Lockhart’s memory and in solidarity with workers everywhere.”
The title track imagines life beyond the automated treadmill although there’s no getting away from the fact that work remains a necessary evil. This burden is made worse by the realisation that most lower paid workers are treated merely as part of the machinery; a state of affairs documented in Talkin’ Gig Economy Blues.
An apocalyptic end is envisaged in Everything For Everyone and in Rise Up Alexa rebels try to convince Amazon's cloud-based voice service to embrace the revolution only to be told that “this feature is not supported.”
The one cover song is Malvina Reynolds’ on topic I Don’t Mind Failing in which opting out of the system is justified by the recognition that “Those who succeed are sons of bitches.”
This is a fun and funny concept album but the wry hipster humour should not distract listeners from the serious issues it highlights. Wise up and rise up are its core messages.
