Smash the System

The rest of the surprisingly accessible Smash the System follows suit, weaving in some solid singer/songwriter-y bits ("Bomber Jacket"), some Sleaford Mods-style post-punk ("Power of the Witch"), and even a dollop of neo-pagan Wicker Man-worship ("Cosmic Man"), all with a wink and a nod, of course.

Smash the System never feels like a retread.

Whether there’s a concept behind it all or not, he again demonstrates a knack for writing in a variety of styles while sounding uniquely himself.

Smash The System is another complex smorgasbord that fans of Haines’ music and sense of humour will lap up. And that non-concept thing might just be another arch attack.

Smash The System is looser, punchier, a surrealist pop masterpiece. [Nov 2016, p.28]

Whereas that time [on Off My Rocket At The Art School Bop] the sharp lyrics were backed by memorable tunes, here he isn't pulling up any trees musically. [Nov 2016, p.107]

The songs are littered with piquant period references--Eric Bristow, Bruce Lee, Roman Polanski, spaghetti hoops--often in absurd situations, such as the mash-up of teutonic terrorism and mad-scientist sci-fi that is “Ulrike Meinhof’s Brain Is Missing”. But Haines’s genuine affection shines through fond tributes like the chugging glam boogie “Marc Bolan Blues” and acid-folk exploration “The Incredible String Band.”