Released in 2013, this debut is such a brilliant, “only in Britain” kind of concept. Public Service Broadcasting took the idea of using old public information films, archive footage, and propaganda reels and turned them into the lead “vocals” for a driving, motorik indie-rock record. It sounds like it should be a dry history lesson, but it’s actually incredibly exciting and surprisingly moving. The band blends banjos, guitars, and heavy drums with electronic pulses to create something that feels both vintage and hyper-modern.

The album moves through various themes – from the thrill of the Spitfire in WWII to the fashion trends of the 60s and the majesty of Mount Everest. “Spitfire” is a total rush of adrenaline, while “The Other Side,” which uses NASA communications from the Apollo missions, is genuinely emotional and tense. It’s a cinematic experience that manages to tell a story without a traditional singer, letting the voices of the past provide the narrative. The style is propulsive and incredibly tight, with a rhythmic precision that keeps the energy high throughout.

Why revisit it? Because it’s just a lot of fun. It’s “nerdy” in the best possible way, celebrating human achievement and history with a great beat. It’s a fantastic example of how to use samples creatively – they aren’t just background noise; they are the heart of the songs. It has a ton of replay value because the more you listen, the more you pick up from the archival clips and the clever ways the music interacts with the spoken word. It’s a total one-of-a-kind record that still sounds like nothing else out there.