Arguably the liveliest and genuinely envelope‐pushing cream of the current post, post‐rock crop, Belfast’s ASIWYFA are so far ahead of the competition they’ve lapped half of them and are virtually biting their arses.
Operating in hitherto uncharted territories, where twitchy pitch‐shifted guitar melodies manage to evoke the indie‐schmindie schmaltz of Two Door Cinema Club, the bombast of Muse and township lilt of Bhundu Boys – often in the same song – this is all underscored by a knowing metal aggression, dropping huge, detuned riffs like electronic sub‐bass bombs.
Repetitive chants and moments of unfettered melodic joy further bolster or confuse the situation, depending on your mindset: it’s pretty weird out here. And like the thought of any future, somewhat unsettling.
