ism

The dudes who comprise the ISM collective were probably picked on when they were in high school. That's not a bad thing, because from great adolescent suffering comes even better artistic ruminations. Urgency cycles through several melancholic rock subgenres-without ever devolving into maudlin—over the course of its 12 surprisingly decent tracks from a band that's sprung up out of nowhere. It's rock. It's goth. It's goth rock. It's even got a hints of both nu wave and industrial peeking out from under its skirt. The music is sultry and coyly dark and will certainly attract those special kids who like to cloak themselves in black, all of the time.

Vocalist Andre Mistier is a master of vocal drama. He's a Yale grad and a martial arts expert, but musically, it's as though has studied the likes of Ours' Jimmy Gnecco for inspiration and influence, since he employs a similar high pitched, almost shrill vocal style that has been patented by those aforementioned names on "Urgency," the blackened ballad "Fly" and the neo-industrial romp "Animadversion."

We're not suggesting that Mistier is a copycat; he's simply culling inspiration from afar and from respected sources within this scene. He runs his vocals through effects on "Sacred Cows," lacing them with more of an edge and preventing the album from wilting under a monochromatic tone. There's not much humor here, but that's not part of the band's agenda, and we're fine with the somber mood.

Urgency has moody, electronic underpinnings woven throughout and that'll coax the reformed and nostalgic rivetheads to ISM's lair as well. If you like to stomp all over rose-colored glasses and prefer to view the glass as half empty, cracked and rimmed with poison that'll kill you slowly and painfully, then you'll have a new favorite band called ISM. And a post-script to the members of ISM : If you weren't picked on in high school, store that information in the vault. The music is more authentic if you let us think that!

— Amy Sciarretto
08.19.08