Ithaca – Impulse Crush

Now that I’m back on this editorial tip, you can expect a diminution in what’s lately been described as “Sam-music” (which is largely anything that sounds like The 1975, named as such in honour of our own live guy Sam Hong who exclusively listens to this and very little else) on this blog, and just way, way more band’s like London-based shouty outfit Ithaca. Actually, that’s not true, particularly given a slight change in profession for myself lately, but I figure it is important that you all know my fondness for the more hard-edged guitar genres anyway and that it’s perfectly fine to enjoy these alongside anything that sounds remotely tropical by nature. So what’s cool about this? Everything, really. Having gotten to know vocalist Djammila via certain stints at either the Black Heart in Camden, or more recently at Brighton and Hove Albion games where she is largely regarded as the only reason that particular team ever win anything, by association I’m guessing she finds herself in the company of a band that could fulfil the legal definition of good eggs. Bloody love a good egg. The music is, of course, in stark contrast to what I’m typically used to hearing on the more-overt and subscribed-to playlists outside the so-called specialist, and it is in fact that which makes it so goddamn refreshing to hear in a Converge-sound crossed with a bit of Test Icicles-aesthetic kinda way, if indeed the visuals for new track Impulse Crush is anything to go by. I mean, even their very name is the home-island of my favourite character from Greek mythology. So yeah, there’s a distinct presence of things I like here, coupled with an equally-measurable lack of things I think are shit here. Many a praising press plaudits are pouring in ahead of the band’s debut album release via the big-in-the-game Holy Roar label inclusive of a London release show on the 1st of February at The Old Blue Last, so do us all a favour and come along to that if only to see how quickly this lot can melt everything on your body from the neck up.

• Ach