Trust No One
Antenna Krzyku, 2020
8/10
Fronted by Izabela Izzy Rekowska and with Mariusz Dojs on guitar as well as Lukasz Mazurowski and Mateusz Pawlukiewicz handling bass and drums respectively, this first album from Izzy And The Black Trees illustrates their intimate nature with both furious landscapes in addition to shimmering restraint across 8 well crafted tunes.
The title track starts the listen with thumping drums as a darker setting of energetic rock’n’roll enters alongside firm, raw female vocals that guide the post-punk ideas, and “Picasso’s Octopuss” follows with a melodic undertone as lively alt-rock flows both with abrasiveness and tunefulness.
At the halfway point, “King Of Gardens” is a much calmer display of fuzzy guitars and a soulful approach of gritty rock, while “Mr. President” leads with noisey swells before settling into a nearly jangly version of folk rock. “Scream Sea Lions”, the album highlight, then radiates cautious punk energy, where gentle moments of beauty are met with bouts of charged riffs and crashing percussion.
The last 2 tracks are just as exceptional, including the walls of sonic noise versus bare ebbs of melody on “Strangers Allow”, which even recruits a saxophone, and “Kite Dancer” exits the listen with some psyche-rock tendencies amid stoner rock nods that still retains a pretty spirit.
Although they’ve only been together for a couple of years now, as evidenced by this strong first album, Izzy and company are sure onto something exciting here, as their Patti Smith meets Babes In Toyland at a Pixies show take on rock makes for a damn good listen.
Travels well with: Princess Thailand- And We Shine; Cosse- Nothing Belongs To Anything