Over the course of a decade, Belfast-raised duo
Bicep have honed a distinctive, sharply focused sound that distills elements from several dance music styles and eras into a tense, high-impact blend. They've struck gold several times, particularly with 2015's dazzling "Just" and 2017's massive "Glue," a viral hit from their U.K. Top 20-charting debut full-length. After taking their material on the road and building a new studio, the London-based duo crafted their second album,
Isles, which is inspired by the multi-cultural environment of their adopted home city. The majority of the record's tracks essentially deliver variations on the signature
Bicep sound, starting with a sturdy syncopated beat and building up intricate melodies and twisted synth arpeggios until everything reaches an emotional peak. Haunting vocals usually add to the drama, from the gorgeous Bollywood samples drifting throughout "Sundial" to the Bulgarian choir that surfaces during the trippy, ethereal "Rever," which is elevated by the presence of
Julia Kent's cello playing. A few songs feature original vocals rather than samples, with Clara La San delivering two standouts. She helps inject a sense of emotional directness into "Saku," as she longs to be set free and return to the way she felt before, while "X" is a bit more shadowy, as her swirling, echo-cloaked voice inquires if her love is being taken for granted. "Hawk" credits an artist named machina, but the vocals merely consist of disembodied syllables diced across swooping synths and ecstatic trance chords. Much the same can also be said about "Apricots," although this track is a bit more jittery, and seems like it's intended to be the album's big-room epic. Apart from the foggy, piano-driven beatless interlude "Lido," the tracks pretty much remain in
Bicep's familiar club-tooled mode, and while it can seem a bit formulaic over the course of an album, their consistency largely works to their benefit, and
Isles sports several undeniable highlights. ~ Paul Simpson