With Deptford Sound Collective dropping “Give Me . Give Me . Give Me, I want it all”, I found myself suspended somewhere between a Studio 54 dancefloor and a gritty picket line. It’s a jarring, delightful confusion. You expect the somber acoustic strumming of 1960s activism given the collective’s mission but instead, you are slapped awake by a wall of 1980s synth-pop.
The track hits with the subtlety of a glitter cannon. It’s characterized by a driving, high-tempo pulse that feels frantic, almost manic, underpinning electronic hooks that cascade like neon rain. But listen past the shoulder-pad nostalgia, and the satire starts to bite. The narrative is a wild ride; the protagonist sneers at mere consumer goods, finding them too small, too pedestrian. instead, they demand the earth itself raw resources, nations, total dominion. It’s a caricature of greed so inflated it points a very sharp, sequined finger at the political theatre of President Trump.
Yet, there is a strange heart beating under the synthesizer. The soaring, anthemic vocals eventually pivot from this appetite for global power to the realization that only a partner’s devotion actually fills the void. Released during LGBTQ History Month, it turns a Valentine’s sentiment into a weapon against division. When that gritty, ascending solo rips through the gloss near the end, it feels like the mask slipping, revealing the urgency beneath the parody.
If we have to fight for civil liberties and stand against hate, is it wrong to want a beat we can dance to while we do it?
