Algiers – “Black Eunuch”
As though Algiers were going to let up. Previously the trans-Atlantic trio gave us “But She Was Not Flying,” “Blood” and “Irony.Utility.Pretext,” and their next song is unapologetically called “Black Eunuch.” The lyrics are veiled enough to allude to perceptions of sex and power in America without getting explicit — but the title conveys plenty on its own. A central, infectious guitar riff keeps the song super-charged, even during the stretches when wordless choral chants take over from vocalist Franklin James Fisher. Even as the bass surfaces like a thrumming salve, the song devolves into a dark, discordant maw. This is politically-charged gospel of the highest order; ignore it to your own detriment.
Algiers will be out 6/2 on Matador.