When Cracow-born indie project Seven Nation Army dropped their new EP “Power and Money”, I found myself struck by the sudden urge to bite a gold coin to see if it would break my teeth. The Polish act, operating since 2006, specializes in brewing heavy alternative rock with dark electronic textures. Founder Jarek Balsamski handles guitars, vocals, synthesizers, programming, and the razor-sharp lyrics, while vocalist Olga Ostrowska, who joined the fold in 2009, provides an incredibly expressive emotional anchor.
Rather than issuing a standard collection of different tracks, the band dissects a single narrative about the delusions of arrogant, untouchable wealth across three distinct sonic environments.
Check out “Power and Money – Electro Time” and you get a brooding, mid-tempo crawl that ultimately erupts into a hostile, confrontational crescendo of societal frustration. Conversely, “Power and Money – 80s Synths” creates an entirely different atmospheric momentum. It utilizes a brisk beat and gritty, looping melodies for a relentlessly energetic push. The final variant, “Power and Money – Raw Guitars”, relies completely on a hypnotic, cyclical rock foundation to swell into a loud, anthemic blast of sheer collective rebellion.
They perfectly capture the profound exhaustion of watching powerful elites dismantle the world for personal gain. Will sweating out this heavy, cinematic frustration actually threaten the billionaires, or does it merely give our contempt a better bassline?
