Powerplant’s surprise 7″ “Crashing Cars” hits like a neon wrecking ball, and its self-directed video drives the point home in pulsing, glitchy color. London’s reigning synth-punk provocateurs have leveled up from bedroom experiments to festival headliners, and this latest salvo proves they’re only getting more fearless.
The title track opens with a cascade of jagged synth riffs that clash and spark against a thunderous drum-machine march. Theo Zhykharyev’s goblin-charmed vocals—equal parts mournful and mischievous—ride the chaos, turning every hook into an anthem for misfits on the move. Behind him, bassist Karim Newble and drummer Lloyd Clipston lock into a relentless groove while Cajm’s analog squall adds an undercurrent of thrilling unease.
“Crashing Cars” feels both triumphant and haunted, capturing that bittersweet thrill of smashing through barriers—and then wondering what’s left in the debris. It’s the perfect follow-up to their 2019 breakout LP People in the Sun, which earned Pitchfork’s praise and nods from Iggy Pop and Henry Rollins for its eccentric bass lines and fuzzy synth textures.
Fresh off ten globe-trotting tours and a KEXP session, Powerplant prove once again they’re synth-punk’s most vital export. Buckle up: this is only the beginning of their high-voltage takeover.