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I think I may have mentioned once or twice (or possibly a million times or so) lately that I’ve been frustrated by the recent influx of bands that sound a whole lot like everybody else. The most frustrating thing about it is that many of these bands are clearly very talented, but their lack of originality just causes them to blend into the musical woodwork.
Take, for instance, ism.
From the first time I heard “Sacred Cows,” the first single from ism’s new album, Urgency, I had a feeling that I’d like them. The track has great energy. It’s edgy and gritty—yet it’s danceable at the same time.
The opening tracks on Urgency continue with that same energy. And when I first gave the album a listen, it was pretty obvious that the band has talent. Musically, they’re pretty solid—and, for the most part, the album’s put together well.
The greatest problem, however, is that much of it just feels a little too familiar—a little too much like everyone else. Its edgy, distorted sound feels like everyone else’s edgy, distorted sound, and when the album heads down the dark and brooding route, it’s just…okay.
I’m just not buying it. I don’t think the guys from ism really are, either—because many of the tracks fall short on energy and passion, as if the band’s trying to be something they’re not. The talent is definitely there—but it just feels like they’re holding something back.
For the most part, you can tell when a band’s giving it everything they’ve got and loving every minute of it—but on some of the tracks on Urgency, that passion just isn’t there. They feel slightly half-hearted and unconvincing. And they’re missing that extra something that makes me want to play the CD over and over again—to turn up the volume on the car stereo and drive a little too fast while I’m singing along. At times, in fact, I get the feeling that the guys from ism aren’t totally into what they’re doing—that they don’t really want to sound like everyone else, either. And while that leaves me feeling somewhat indifferent about Urgency, it leaves me feeling good about ism. I have a feeling that they have it in them—that they just need to find themselves and get comfortable with their own sound. And, once they do, they’ll be a musical force to reckon with.
While a few of the tracks on Urgency (my personal favorites are “Sacred Cows,” “Urgency,” and “Give It Back”) are download-worthy, as a whole, this isn’t really a standout album. It’s decent but not especially original. Still, I look forward to ism’s next release—because as long as they can settle into a sound that’s their own, the best is yet to come.
