Shakenstir » ist ist’s Brilliant Debut Rock LP

Arguably one of the most uncompromising and idiosyncratic acts around, Manchester’s post-punk quartet ist ist have been carving their own niche since their inception just over five years ago. Refusing to bay to industry influence of any kind, the band have managed to forge a reputation for being driven and dogmatic.

Their latest single, ‘Wolves’ is the first taste fans will get from their recently announced debut album: ARCHITECTURE, a body of work which for many, not least the band themselves, has been a long time in the making. Three-and-a-half-minutes of progressive post-punk, it’s the perfect antithesis to the cookie-cutter indie-pop that so often calls Manchester home. Dark and brooding, a bed of eerie electronics introduces the underlying menace of the track which acts as an allegory for the current socio-political climate. Documenting a woman’s descent into paranoia and nightmares of wolves taking her child – the animals themselves a metaphor for social services – frontman Adam Houghton’s distinct baritone is the perfect precursor to the darkness that follows.

With such an inherent darkness bubbling beneath the surface, it’s only fitting that the band’s visuals match as well, and the ‘Wolves’ video only exacerbates the sense of paranoia and disorientation.

This is only the first taste, however. Each single taken from ARCHITECTURE will have its own accompanying visuals that will make the descent into ist ist’s psyche all the more visceral. Something that should come as little surprise for anyone that’s followed the band since their inception, with light shows becoming an integral element of the ist ist live experience more and more.

Review

‘Wolves’ opens the record in an uncompromising and dark way with a revolving electronic backdrop and baritone talking voice. The song then opens out to include guitars, drums and a spellbinding heavy rhythmic. It’s adventurous, wonderfully produced and sets the tone for the whole record. ‘You’re Mine’ further exposes the audiophile quality of the recording with a sound that’s New Order 2020. The pace varies from frantic to glacial, the lyrics sparse and clear, the melody about as strong as it gets.

‘Black’ takes a more conventional rocky route but hits a home run with its solid bassline, strong melody and monotone vocal. ‘Discipline’ is dominated by a razor sharp and relentless drum rhythm this time with keyboards making an effective entry. ‘A New Love Song’ opens with a metallic thrash and spasmodic drum beat with the darkest vocal on the record. The song is punctuated by strings as the baritone and gloom-laden vocal drags along like a heavy ball and chain. It’s a compelling and complicated track that works so bloody well.

‘Silence’ lightens the mood somewhat with an interesting guitar riff before the talking pace baritone vocal enters and an instrumental deluge ensues. Brilliant! ‘Drowning In The Shallow End’ introduces a far lighter but no less interesting sound, while ‘Night’s Arm’ offers a thumping rock vibe as drums and Western guitar sound as the song’s pace and decibels grow.

‘Under The Skin’ offers yet another sonic landscape with hammond and guitars forming a most attractive backdrop to this moving and melodic composition. ‘Slowly We Escape’ ends the record on an ecclesiastical note with distant hammond and a glacial pace for the first half of the song that suddenly explodes into a rocky assault on the senses. It’s a remarkable and highly original track.

This record has everything with diverse pace and mood, strong melodies, simple but effective lyrics, superb production and a vocal that accurately matches each song. An excellent and highly accessible debut rock record. The band’s tour has been moved from its original winter dates, and I’ll be the first in the queue to witness these songs played live.

4.5/5