On their new album Is it Now?, Automatic demands we look at the world’s oppressive structures with fresh urgency, and on new track “Lazy”, out now, the trio of Izzy Glaudini (synths, vocals), Halle Saxon (bass, vocals) and Lola Dompé (drums, vocals) blend elements of new wave, post-punk, and spacey trip-hop.
On Is It Now?, Automatic uses perky minimalist grooves and pop melodies as a Trojan horse to wheel in political commentary about automated warfare, mindless consumerism, or the political influence of oil. On “Lazy” they turn their attention to the early days of a relationship plagued by self-doubt and overthinking. The lyrics address a love interest and take back power: “The thing you thought you wanted / Was just the image of control”.
Working with a producer for the first time, Loren Humphrey (Arctic Monkeys, Nice As Fuck, Cameron Winter), and balancing solo lives and varying temperaments, Automatic recorded Is It Now? in New York and L.A. They cast their net of influences wider, too, nodding to longtime favourite Patrick Cowley as well as A Certain Ratio, Air, and the moment in late-1970s British music when dub collided with punk.
“Lazy” might be a love song – or an anti-love song – but like all Automatic songs, its message comes with a healthy dose of dark humor and a swing in its step.
Since their last record, 2022’s Excess, Automatic toured with Tame Impala, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Marías and IDLES. The band hits the road once again for a co-headlining tour with Sextile this fall. Is It Now? is out September 26th on Stones Throw.
