Just a handful of months short of three years ago, UK trio I Plead Irony uncaged one of the most rousing and creatively imaginative rock ‘n’ roll albums heard that year and to be honest since. This Statement Is False was compellingly equipped with ferocious and virulently contagious alternative and punk rock roars which, though frequently acclaimed, never quite got the rich attention it and the band deserved. Fair to say though, the Farnborough hailing band was certainly recognised as one of the UK’s most exciting emerging bands by a great many. Now the biggest spotlights are under serious tempting once again with the release of the band’s second album The Solution Is The Problem, it another creatively raucous and energetically incendiary slab of sound and invention to get lustful over.
In many ways, The Solution Is The Problem takes over from where its predecessor left off; imagination stirring and inventively mischievous songs to the fore but swiftly it reveals the broader landscape of creative tenacity and imagination now colouring the fresh maturity in songwriting and sound. Managing to provide more of the riveting same whilst unleashing a whole new character of insatiable adventure, the album is an inescapable arousing of spirit, imagination, and greedily devouring ears.
Formed in the early days of 2011, I Plead Irony was a growing force on the south eastern live scene from its first steps. Sharing time with its members’ other projects such as Ipanema, The Fins, Atomic Garden, and Welcome The Howling Tones, the band released This Statement Is False in 2013, their debut mixed by French producer Guillaume Doussaud. It awoke a new wave of national ears and appetites to the presence of the band and in turn a new host of fans to excite with their renowned live prowess. Now The Solution Is The Problem is the bait to really stir things up; an enticement which has all the qualities and potential to make the threesome of vocalist/bassist Rauf Jordan, guitarist/backing vocalist Paul McDonald, and drummer/backing vocalist Lawrence Arnold, the name on eagerly sharing lips and recommendations.
The album impressively opens with Tiny Violin which enters on a rusty cinematic coaxing. Soon after, a wiry guitar invitation winds around ears, hefty rhythmic swipes and a brooding atmosphere soon in close attention. In no time, the track is strolling with eager intent through ears, the excellent vocal presence of Jordan leading a thick mix of textures and flavours busying themselves within the song. There is a touch of Hundred Reasons meets Japanese Fighting Fish to the track, a spice within a sound which is swiftly and increasingly recognised as prime I Plead Irony. It is simply superb, a rousing and dramatic proposal thick in emotion and intensity entangled in strands of inventive endeavour.
The potent expanse of diversity within the album is soon beginning to reveal itself with What If. From vocals to sound, it carries a rockabilly meets melodic rock ingenuity which simply seduces as the track, with the bass on the front foot, prowls ears. Hooks litter every lure of the song’s invitation whilst a virulence of emotive and creative dexterity infests the imagination and psyche. As its predecessor, the track is aural gold and an unstoppable manipulation of the body and listener participation, much as Not The Face which follows straight after. It too is quickly in command, its buoyant infectiousness aligned to imposing aggression and anthemic tenacity with a Billy Talent like resourcefulness to it all.
Already the album is an addiction in the throes of success and strongly backed by the feisty persuasion of Sisyphus and even more so its successor Just A Machine. The first of the two is a relatively reserved and reined proposal but with the bracing edge and slightly cantankerous nature that frequents the I Plead Irony sound. If without sparking the same lusty response as those before it, the sonically fiery song has ears and pleasure full before the second of the two steals the limelight with its Foo Fighters toned incitement. From the delicious crankiness of the bass and the lung roaring vocals of Jordan through to the maze of off-kilter dynamics and ever evolving energy, the track is an anthem to stir the passions and a tapestry of unpredictable invention to ignite the imagination.
What’s Best For You bounces along next with a Jimmy Eat World infectiousness and agitation though yet again any references offered are mere hues in a thick slice of I Plead Irony originality, as evidenced by the rumbling rock ‘n’ roll of Unsung Champions straight after. Jordan and Arnold needs little time to create a web of rhythmic seduction and intimidation which McDonald binds in melodic and sonic enterprise as the vocalist’s vocals shine with narrative and expression. There is nothing about the song not to greedily like; every chord and rhythmic roll the prelude to a theatre of discord lined imagination and spirit inflaming flirtation, it all honed into rock ‘n’ roll alchemy.
The body is soon lost to the addictive shuffle and contagion of Prove Me Wrong; its imposing catchiness wonderfully aligned to a metal inspired trespass as magnetic as the track’s virulence is epidemic like. The song is also another reflection of the bigger and bolder landscape to the band’s writing and invention, an aspect pushed further by the equally intrusive and dynamic Divide[…]Collide. A tenacious snarl is never far from the surface, even as a melodic saunter works with the darker tone of voice and emotion , but similarly the band’s striking imagination is consistently there leaning in on every unexpected twist and resourceful turn of the excellent encounter.
The Solution Is The Problem is brought to a thrilling close by firstly the web of intrigue and galvanic textures making up the Kill The Crow and finally Tragedy Debut, a glorious slice of punk ‘n’ roll which sends the listener this way and that whilst having them, like a puppeteer, physically and emotionally dance. Both tracks hit the sweet spot with the closer especially exhilarating with its invasive and memorable theatre of blues, punk, and muscular alternative rock.
Such the might of This Statement Is False, it was never going to be easy to follow it up but The Solution Is The Problem makes light work of the challenge with its bigger and bolder, not forgetting thrilling plateau of invention and persuasion
The Solution Is The Problem is out now via Rose Coloured Records @ https://ipleadirony.bandcamp.com/
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Pete RingMaster 12/04/2016
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
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Revenge is a maelstrom of riffs and rhythmic antagonism driven by the ear catching prowess of Estelle and the equally alluring craft and enterprise of Junior and Ad’ibou which ensures one of the more formula sculpted tracks stands out as potently as the more experimental ones such as Elm Street which follows. It is another seeing the band weave and hone a broad array of creative spices and genre flavours into one rabid and merciless incitement. Further coloured by melodic and harmonic imagination, it grouchily bristles as it entices and seduces as it gnaws on the senses.
Claudel’s bass has ears and appetite enslaved in no time on the following Cell Swelling too; its throaty snarl delicious bait which is quickly matched in steely kind by invasive riffs. Provoking and enticing with every touch, the song scowls and bruises throughout but tempers its merciless intent with great unpredictable side steps into calmer rapacious exploits often led by that irresistible bass tempting. As with its predecessor, the song is not re-inventing the wheel but a fresh and individual character to each is the predominate spice which equally stirs the spirit across the likes of Running Out of Time and Thrashtastik. Amongst influences listed are the likes of Slayer, Testament, and Kreator; flavours which especially come to mind in the forcibly contagious first of the pair with its compelling trespass of a swing. Its successor is relatively less open in influence as it uncages a bedlamic shuffle of thrash voracity and ridiculously catchy endeavour. It is a death dance, a flirtation to destruction and as the previous track, one thrilling provocation.