Steven Wayne Smith, the creative force behind Kilravock, returns with ‘Tyranny of the Clock’- a sharp-edged and unapologetically political EP that arrives with perfect timing. Building on the themes introduced in his ‘Incompatibility][Working Class Hero’ release, this six-track collection previews the forthcoming ‘Just Another Wonderful Day’ LP and delivers a potent blend of protest, grit, and genre-blurring experimentation.
Opening with ‘Who Killed Saint Monday’, Smith sets the tone with a fierce and riff-heavy homage to George Woodcock’s essay on time discipline and the capitalist manipulation of labour. It’s driving, abrasive, and undeniably urgent- a track that channels post-punk fury through the lens of modern-day burnout and class fatigue.
‘Solidarity Forever’ flips expectations even further. Rather than the rousing anthem many may know, Smith recasts the labour movement classic into a mournful, almost funereal meditation on collective disillusionment. Featuring contributions from longtime collaborators, the track’s somber tone mourns not only the loss of union strength, but the erosion of worker dignity itself. It’s a dirge for what’s been lost- and a cry for what must be reclaimed.
Elsewhere on the EP, reworked versions of ‘Incompatibility’ and ‘Working Class Hero’ get a raw, invigorated treatment, while tracks from Smith’s side projects- the artful snarl of The Alliterates and the warped soundscapes of Lucid Fugue- add welcome texture. Genre-wise, expect a heady stew: alt-rock swagger, sludgy undercurrents, flashes of industrial angst, and unexpected detours into experimental territory.
‘Tyranny of the Clock’ isn’t an easy listen, and that’s exactly the point. It’s a blistering critique of the modern work machine, packed with depth, noise, and resistance.