"It was November, in the first days after the 2004 elections when all seemed lost and revolution the only option, that I first encountered The Playwrights. Perhaps it was meant to be. The Playwrights latest ep, entitled 'Guy Debord Is Really Dead' is dedicated to the founder of the late 60s political phenomenon the Situationists. The Revolution of Everyday Life, referred to in the song, is the bible of that movement. It was the right tune at the right time. Although I heard the song as a downloaded mp3, it turns out it was released in Britain as a three song ep, backed with two other tunes -- 'Bridge Burning Cooperative' and 'Knock Yourself Out'. And it turns out further that the single wasn't a fluke. On the strength of this ep (and a couple CD's worth of earlier work), I would expect The Playwrights to garner some serious critical attention in the coming year. While they don't sound anything like them, I feel The Playwrights have a spiritual connection to early Wire, with the ability to write political pop songs that don't sound political. 'Guy Debord' could be a cryptic love song as easily as a paean to the revolution of everyday life. Other songs in their oeuvre have a similar polarity, with poetic lyrics that could be interpreted broadly or narrowly as the listener chooses. Angular is an overused work in pop critique, but it applies here. There are unusual rhythms and unexpected jolts in The Playwrights' music that make second and third listenings ever more rewarding. From inventive arrangements to brilliant song-writing, The Playwrights seem altogether too obscure to be so accomplished. Let's change that! If you want to listen to them visit their web site at www.theplaywrights.co.uk or hear the track on www.betterpropaganda.com. We can always hope that a new full-lengther will be released one of these days that will be available in stores in the U.S." - Indie Disco

"Songs that demand you pay attention: brittle, spiky guitars, twisting structures, and a-hundred-words-a-minute lyrics. The overall effect is to conjure up England of the early 80s - all Arthur Scargill, the Falklands, BNP marches, and a McDonald's opening up on Rye Lane. The melodies aren't immediate, catchy ditties - they're too complex for that - but that's their beauty. Each time I seem to hear something new. And now I can't stop listening to it – it sticks its claws into you and won't let go." - Diskant

"The ones to watch. An ability to fuse angular guitars and scorching melody ripped straight from great pop tunes." - Record Collector

"Literate and anti-establishment The Playwrights put a spectacular spin on the jerky post punk melodies of the Gang Of Four as they lay the tripwires far and wide with the release of ‘Guy Debord Is Really Dead’. Majestic, cerebral indie rarely comes packaged in such a tight core of edgy, driven drumming, stinging guitar lines and an arthouse lyricism that fizzes with brittle pop sloganeering. It’s an awe-inspiring lead into their scintillating new album ‘When I Lived In The Modern World’, which is pencilled in for release early next year. Beg, steal or borrow in rampant preparation." - Noyz

"More bearers of the flame have come recently in the familiar form of the Playwrights, courtesy of their Guy Debord Is Really Dead EP on Sink and Stove. By rights I should have written about this EP months ago, and it’s to my eternal shame that I didn’t. Better late than never, however, and if you were to pick up one single that marked out the heights of British independence in 2004 for your Christmas stocking shopping list, then this should be at least close to the top. Got a chum who won’t let up about how great Dogs Dies In Hot Cars are? Get them a copy of this EP (and whilst you’re about it, a copy of their Unpopular 7” ­ still to my mind the bands’ peak, even though I know I would say that) and give them some education.
‘Revolution in everyday life is all that matters now’ sings Aaron Dewey on the title track, and if ever there was a time for the return of this kind of smart intellectual Pop attack then surely it is now? The Playwrights cut through the crap to embrace the past and the future in a cacophony of restrained love and hate; The Playwrights summon the ghosts of Situationists but allow them their head ­ no post-ironic gesturing allowed here ­ in a glorious dance macabre of Modern Art politics. The Playwrights are monstrously modernist in the truest sense; naturally capturing the contradictions of contemporary existence: both in thrall to and disgusted by the world they see risen around them.
Key track for me though is not the lead cut, but rather the brilliant ‘Bridge Burning Co-operative’ which bristles with awkward shapes thrown in sharp relief, atop which a trumpet drops shards of electric colour. Of course it might be the inspired choice of 3/4 time, but this track reminds me of no less than the mighty Hellfire Sermons, and if that reference is one that leaves you wondering, then get the hell out of here and track down the utterly essential Hymns: Ancient and Modern retrospective on Bus Stop. Then come back to The Playwrights and climb to the top of towers the land over to proclaim them the genius Pop agitators they most assuredly are." - Tangents

"Four and a half minutes long; a continuous slice of twinkling tune along the lines of Pavement covering an At The Drive-In number. An intriguing introduction to a band who admirably endeavour to give us melody by way of something other than a yawn-inducing, normal verse-chorus-verse structure. 4/5." - Rock Feedback

"An indie-rock English band that sounds unapologetically English, with enough quirky quirks to be mistaken as influenced by American music? Who knew that such a thing would come out sounding so...good? Guy Debord Is Really Dead is a great three-song EP; there's no room for screwing around, they get to the point--and in your face--quite quickly. With a sound that seems to be a mixture of Jawbox and Pavement--which, for review purposes, covers the harder moments and The Fall moments quite nicely--and it's absolutely no surprise why the kids are getting excited about these guys. Intense, literate rock (that occasionally sounds a little too American for my taste, sorry) is found in the title track and "Bridge Burning Cooperative," but I really love "Knock Yourself Out," which finds the band supplementing their rock with a bit of a beat, and it sounds real...nice. A nice little taste of a great band, who are sure to (hopefully) dominate 2005." - Mundane Sounds

"Seasons change, time resolves and The Playwrights keep on moving on. 'Guy Debord Is Really Dead' is post-punk viewed through the eyes of a literary critic, that even drops in a couple of lines in French for good measure. Perhaps even better is superbly melodic B-side 'Knock Yourself Out', with its discreetly incessant haywire guitar hooks and what seems to be a set of chiming bells." - New Noise

"Hailing from Bristol, The Playwrights are the kind of band that remind you that intelligent music and intelligent lyrics are not mutually exclusive propositions. Usually, when one mentions intelligence, you think of either reams of ‘evocative’ prose in The Wire about middle-eights and pioneering chord sequences concerning bands who do more noodling than the chefs at Wagamama. Or else it'll be lyrics full of literary references and situationist posturing . . . Oh. Okay, so they may have the situationist credentials, but they also have the kind of stuttering, angular tightness that prevents anything appearing too obtuse. Second track, Bridge Burning Cooperative, is full of sputtering trumpet and strange chord sequence crescendos. Marvellous. The Playwrights are obviously a band with a peculiar past and a fascinating future. This is a real grower. 4/5." - The Mind's Construction

"Something vaguely original alert! You can hear traces of everything from Gang Of Four and Pavement in The Playwrights edgy vibe." - Rocksound

"As hard and fast and angry and assured as an old Jam song, 'Welcome to the Middle Ages' finds a new generation pondering the trade-offs of adulthood, with intelligence and venom. The introduction is simply a fade-in on a fuzzy electric din; then with a curt 'one-two,' The Playwrights dive in: vocals with declarative authority burst on top of a hard-driving, bass-heavy beat. The song rocks hard, instantly, but the 6/4 time keeps things jittery, and the unexpected instrumentation--hey, another trumpet in this one--and subtle changes keep your ear engaged. The lyrics are charmingly wordy; again the Jam come to mind when I hear singer Aaron Dewey spitting out more syllables than the line theoretically wants to have ('As I get older my conditions get better/But my expectations get lower...')." - Fingertips Music

"Have we mentioned that we fucking LOVE The Playwrights? Those of you who like your post-punk all arty and angular and intellectual and intense ought to visit the Bristol-based brainiacs at theplaywrights.co.uk and download some tunage. We recommend the very ace ‘Dislocated’ and the swinging Situationist single ‘Guy Debord Is Really Dead’." - Rolling Stone

"And did we mention the Playwrights earlier? Typical with these things I’ve lost the press release, no matter, nobody can tell me anything about this lot that I haven’t already heard for myself. Perhaps one of the best bands currently to be found on the circuit right now, this three track taster finds The Playwrights sound evolving in massive leaps. They're still awkwardly angular with the compositions - themselves sharp enough to give you cuts just listening to them; yet on two cuts here, notably the energetic double jointed ‘Bridge Burning Co-operative’ and the spasmodic ‘Knock Yourself Out’ (where the disjointed rhythms you may be surprised to hear curiously appear not as far removed from the pop world as first thought, being distantly related to a roughened ‘Sat in your Lap’ by Kate Bush) the regimental rigidity of the caustic bodywork is found somewhat loosened and made malleable by a sly funky grain lurking at their hearts. The Playwrights contort and manoeuvre intelligently to a crafted half-breed mutation of art math rock that’s intense and demanding as exemplified perfectly on ‘Guy Debord Is Really Dead’. The cue being taken from a fragmented ringer like concoction of spare parts from early 80’s stalwarts the Fire Engines and the Nightingales, the assembled bits hammered together by an agitated groove evoking memories of the Gang of Four and the splintered riffs of the likes of Fugazi all given a fulsome body by billowing brass arrangements. The real new order of cerebral rock begins here, the rest are only pretending." - Losing Today

"The Playwrights are literate, anti-establishment and have a penchant for skinny-jerk melodies that will have you dancing like a spider with half its legs torn off. Step aside Hot Hot Heat, Interpol and Franz Ferdinand, we love you all but we love The Playwrights more!" - Logo Magazine

"Brilliant again, simply brilliant; we’ve told you before about the brave hard boiled English beauty of Bristol’s very left field pop makers called The Playwrights, and we’re going to tell you all again - one of the very best bands out there. The Playwrights are mostly about songs, pop songs - cleverly constructed rule breaking pop songs that leave you so much to hang on to every time you come back to explore. Fine art-pop; earnest, sometimes uptight, always warm and rewarding... they really do push all the buttons. Single of the week." - Organ Magazine

"The kind of sound that Franz Ferdinand are making in their dreams" - Tangents

"One of the greatest joys in life is hearing a new band that you know could really become something special. For me this has been the case with Clinic, Franz Ferdinand and The Beta Band. Right now I feel that Bloc Party, The Duke Spirit and The Futureheads are going in the same direction. Oh and this band I’m reviewing now - The Playwrights. This band has been around for two years, and I’m sure that with this single they should get critical acclaim. ‘Guy Debord is Really Dead’ is a fantastic example of the new breed of rock that is slowly forming: post-punky with a modern edge to it. Although I can hear shades of XTC and Wire in this single, really and truly the Playwrights have their own original sound which grows on you and obsesses you further with each listening. It will literally be criminal if this band doesn’t go places in the near future." - Alternative Malta

"With their fingers on the British collective musical pulse, I'm willing to put money on The Playwrights being the sound of popular guitar music in three years' time. Like a sensory assult with tactics, their tunes' punky surface belies intelligent lyrics and thoughtful construction. These guys demand attention." - Decode