When the need to rock is in your blood, it never goes away - trustme, I know. You can go through all manner of styles that you love and yet that urge to get down and rock 'n' roll always returns. Zara, lead singer of Isis (we use the "I" for ease, here), started life as a rocker and, after a long time, the rocker has returned. It's rock, Jim, but not as we know it........
Well, actually, it's more like punk. Isis? Punk? The voices are legion right now saying "you have GOT to be kidding!!" Look, I'll say it as I see it, and you are free to make your own mind up. For purposes unknown (to me, anyway), the "old" Isis has gone, to be replaced by everything that this CD represents. What hasn't gone are THAT voice, which still sends shivers down my spine when I hear it, and the Dundee god of bass, Martin, (although that title is under threat from the guy out of Page 6 right now, but that's for another time). But what has gone is any semblance of softness, subtlety and smoothness. This has been replaced by power chords, passion, Pengy and a punk attitude that positively spits. Ah yes, Pengy - the drummer - he's injected this thunderous burst of energy into the band via crashing, crunching, driving drumming that propels every song at a speed to which you think it'll never stand up, and yet the fact that they do is a testament to what the band has become - and that's a band that doesn't give one toss about fashion, trends, indie music, in fact anything that the Dundee Scene is all about. They are ploughing their own furrow and if you want to go with them, that's fine; if not, then they'll do it anyway - they have this belief in themselves that is, if you've attended any concerts recently, beginning to gain a lot of respect from the indie fraternity.
So, to the EP (at last, I hear you cry). Five tracks, more riffs and walls of guitar chords than you can poke a pig with, Martin's bass almost taking over as lead instrument on many occasions and those driving drums, all topped off with Zara's soaring, surging vocals. Five short, sharp and sizzling songs.We start with the title track and all the elements are there, raw rock wrapped in a driving cyclical punky rhythm, a song that unfolds with a verse-as-chorus style, and a hook that goes round and round as the song thunders along. However, you do feel that there is one element where the new-found Isis might do well to look at - and that's the battle between no real lead instrument and that Zara's voice never stops. Virtually the whole length of the song - once it starts - there is vocal - wordless "huhs' and 'ha's" and similar things to fill in for where there would, in any other group, be a brief guitar break. Now, if this is the way Isis want it, just fine. I can live with it to a degree, but that's just me. However, it doesn't spoil what is a fine lead track that's simple and effective as far as the idea goes. But, for "She Moves Me", the balance is spot on. While not as overtly hook-laden as the previous one, as an arrangement and performance, it's excellent, and Zara's vocal really comes into its own here a the song structure exhibits more dynamics and the band let fly at the same time. A better song and one that you'll play lots. Which neatly leads on to "Inside Out", arguably the epitome of what the band should do to get it absolutely perfect. It's a great song, and one of Zara's finest vocal performances. Pengy thunders away all over the place while Martin's bass is just awesome. The arrangement is absolutely right with a riff that is addictive, suitable instrumental mid-section and the vocals not overdone in anyway, so much so that the end part where Zara does let fly, seems quite natural and effective. In terms of what Isis are all about, and right now that's a hinterland of folk-punk, pop-rock and hook-laden commerciality, this is one stunner of a track.
"Nah Nah Nah" also thunders along, and this time Martin's bass is right upfront on parts of the song doing runs that take your breath away. Pengy does what Pengy does and Zara's vocal just steams ahead like a runaway train. But, unike "Waiting", the song itself is not quite as memorable, but, in the context of this EP, fits together well, and is still decent Isis when all's said and done.
Now a lot of people are gonna think I've gone mad here, but I genuinely love "Rock Chick". It's not the best written song on the EP (that falls to "Inside Out") but it is one of the best slices of whatever (punk) style you care to label it as, in pure commercial, crowd-pleasing and rabble-rousing terms. Sure the lyrics are the sort of thing that would make Blink 182 look like Shakespeare, but the combination of riffing guitars, rolling rhythms, driving riffs and Zara's sensational vocal performance just gets me every time. The chorus is anthemic, power and passion pouring out of every word she sings, sung to perfection and I find it absolutely and totally infectious. I could play this darned thing every day for the next year and still never tire of the track and, as I say, many will think I've lost my mind. But, in the end, it's all about what moves you, so I plead guilty to loving the simplest yet most effective track on the EP.
So, overall? "Waiting" as a track gets under your skin, "She Moves Me" improves with every play, "Inside Out" is superb and "Rock Chick" is simple rock 'n' roll injected with power that you'll either love or hate. Still to get to grips with "Nah Nah Nah", but give me time. For now, for all its raw, rough and ready mix of attitude and needles-in-the-red approach, this is still the Isis that continues to move me - not perfection by any means, but it'll do just fine.