These New Puritans? sophomore album is a delightfully dark slice of post-punk electro-pop. Hailing from the Southend-on-Sea borough in Essex, England, TNP have raised the bar in the rarely discussed genre of “doombeat”. Understandably, raising the bar in some obscure music genre may not seem all that appealing, but Hidden is a gem for the more adventurous listeners. TNP display an ever expanding sound pallet, rich in texture, feeling.

The epic second track "We Want War" is eight minute beat clinic that is mildly hypnotic, and utterly captivating. The entire record is beautifully crafted and ferocious in its concentration; however the second half doesn’t quite deliver the goods in the same intoxicating manner as the opening songs. That being said, the second half of the album shouldn’t be classified as anything short of remarkable in its own right. Painstakingly crafted, with the use of a full orchestra, the album as a whole is incredibly thoughtful, with a nearly perfect blend of risk taking and simplicity. The complexity of certain aspects on Hidden truly is a testament to the song-writing and production prowess of leading man Jack Barnett.

TNP display a wide spectrum of emotion on this bold offering. A band needs to have considerable bravado and confidence to embark on such an ambitious project, and more often than not, it rarely pays off in such a genuinely satisfying manner. While it is a considerable leap forward for TNP, Hidden is hopefully a preview of greatness that will soon follow. Unique in its vision, focus and execution, this record is an eye-opening revelation of what can be accomplished when clear ideas become music. There is no hint of misplaced passion, or jumbled philosophy, it’s as if Barnett and company knew precisely what they wanted to do, and somehow avoided being overtly formulaic. Hidden is a fantastic reminder of all that is great about ambition in music with its darkness, and provocative nature.