Photo Credit: @trust_a_fox
Manchester alternative rock band IST IST formed back in 2014 and have released at least one studio or live album each year since 2019. Earlier this month, the band released their fifth studio album DAGGER through their own label Kind Violence Records, and it has to be their most experimental record yet.
Guitarist and synthesiser player Mat Peters seems to have been given free reign on DAGGER, to experiment with the synths and deliver a sound that leans into modern dance. Take Encouragement as just one example of this, with its two-minute synth intro creating a defined space for the listener to feel the music. Peters is definitely one to watch at IST IST live shows too, with how easily he can switch from guitar to synth and back again – a true master.
After singing the praises of Peters it would be rude not to introduce the other three band members who make up the brilliant quartet: vocalist/guitarist Adam Houghton, bassist Andy Keating and drummer Joel Kay, whose sound can be defined as being influenced by bands such as New Order.
The first three tracks were early previews of the album – I Am The Fear, Makes No Difference and Warning Signs being the songs – with the former opening DAGGER in style. The distorted synth intro sets the track up perfectly for Houghton’s opening lyrics on the record: “I am the fist covered in blood, I am the moss, you are the cause, I am always with you.” There are a few spine-tingling bass moments from Keating on these three songs, which are bound to give you goosebumps.
The New Order influences can be heard immediately on Makes No Difference, as Keating plays bass in true Peter Hook style – it’s always great to see a band pay homage to another from their home city. Houghton has such a defined singing style and that’s part of what sets IST IST apart from most other bands. Burning offers something a little different from the band, while The Echo has a very upbeat tempo that will go down well on their UK tour in April.
We have already mentioned the track Encouragement, but thought we would do so again as it is one of our standouts from DAGGER. The synth and bass playing against each other is a special moment for us, and is another one that will go down well with a live audience. I Remember Everything has a nice guitar riff running through it, as Houghton stands out with his vocals: “In the age of information, as far as I can see/We get nothing from your foresights, we are blinded.” The lyrics are dark and deep, just as we would expect from IST IST.
Obligations is another of those striking, synth-led tracks and is right up there with the best on DAGGER, while things are brought down a notch or two for Song For Someone, with the emotional opening lyrics “Rest now and take your sleep/Know that you were loved by everyone who had the pleasure of meeting you.” The words hit really hard on this track, working really well alongside the slow instrumentation before the final thirty seconds of the song burst into life. Ambition is the perfect way to end a record that has pushed me into self-reflection, sometimes an album has that kind of emotional pull and DAGGER does that for me.
10/10
Standout Tracks: I Am The Fear, Warning Signs, Encouragement, Obligations
For Fans Of: The Cure, Joy Division, White Lies
Written by: Alan Brown
