New Music: Testcard F – Bouquet on a Lamppost

The original incarnation of synthpop pioneers Testcard F came from an experimental sound that found common cause with the likes of SPK and Test Dept.

This second iteration of the band, comprising original member and songwriter Vince Rogers and vocalist Ruth Roberts, remains experimental, though with a dark pop attitude in their music.

The dry and dark Bouquet on a Lamppost is catchy, but with an eeriness that will live beyond Halloween playlists. The synths echo Dubstar and Client, as do the vocals, but the grand guignol slice-of-life ambience of the song and the storytelling of the lyrics wouldn’t be amiss on a particularly acerbic track from The Tiger Lillies. If Ladytron did Brechtian punk cabaret, it might sound a lot like this.

“[Bouquet on a Lamppost] is about roadside memorials; flowers left at the site of a tragic car accident,” says the duo. “It tells the story of a person who only gets the attention she craves after being run over. Then the storyteller becomes jealous and wants to join her in the spotlight.”

Catch up with Testcard F on their Facebook and Instagram socials for band updates, and learn more about Bouquet on a Lamppost, which is streaming on Bandcamp and Spotify.