Music
2025
Antony Szmierek
Spoken word based on tried and tested British recipe, but without the biting cynicism.
The world today is steeped in irony, also sees Antony Szmierek – and he thinks it could do with a touch of optimism less. So the Englishman makes it his mission to remain cautiously hopeful in his music. His diction reveals the influence of Arab Strap and especially The Streets’ Mike Skinner; the upbeat house beats – played live with a band – echo the hybrid forms of indie and UK dance from the end of the last century (Saint Etienne, 808 State). He shares the regained sincerity with Kae Tempest, but Szmierek's lyrics are entirely his own: an eclectic mix of slightly drunk philosophy, dry humor, sci-fi, and Camus. Ostensibly random observations that, once you've recovered from dancing, turn out to contain more wisdom than one might have thought.
