ALBUM REVIEW: “Light A Bigger Fire” by IST IST

Manchester’s finest IST IST are back with their fourth studio album “Light A Bigger Fire” out on 20 September via Kind Violence Records. We’ve reviewed all three of their previous releases; 2020’s “Architecture”, 2021’s “The Art of Lying” and 2023’s “Protagonists” which we gave a score of 9.5/10. I remember IST IST sharing our review and asking the fans at the time ‘what more can we do to get a ten?’…… I replied suggesting the lack of cowbell may be the reason !…… Lets see eh ?!

If you’ve followed us for a while, and read our musings, you’ll already know that IST IST have a unique sound all of their own, and over the years they have honed that into something very special indeed; a brooding, dark vision of the world delivered through a clever balance of iconic pounding basslines, thunderous riffs and subtle Numan-esque synth tones. All this, pulled together with the unique deep/baritone vocal style of singer/guitarist Adam Houghton creates something quite magical.

“Right now this is the best version of us” singer Adam Houghton confidently declares. “We’ve always been proud of every album we’ve released but sometimes you come away and wonder whether you’ve left anything in the studio and whether you could have dragged something extra out of some of the songs. Not with this one.”

“The album title isn’t cryptic in the slightest. Everything we’re doing and have been doing for a while now is going up a level. Live shows have always been our calling card but this record puts our studio output on a par with them.”

And this album sees IST IST team up with the production skills of Joe Crosswhose impressive CV features the likes of Courteeners, Hurts, Louis Tomlinson and the Slow Readers Club.

On first play of the new album, as soon as it started it was obviously IST IST, there was no mistaking that…. But somehow, this one feels somehow different. Somehow more rounded, bigger…. tecturally richer, a sound that fills a room and bounces from the walls right back at you. The opening track Lost My Shadow is a great example of this. All the classic traits are there, deep vocals, heavy pulsing bass and powerful riffs, but now somehow with an injection of something more ‘pop’ (popular) in its sensibilities? Don’t get me wrong, it still has that iconic IST IST edge to it, but it’s a somehow wonderfully ironic track, with its dark disturbing lyrics “Theres a big black cloud that follows me around, I still feel like I’m digging up the bones” delivered with a beat to jump around to ! This one is sure to be a huge hit live !

Check out the official video for Lost My Shadow below:

Some of the songs have a new infusion of punchy, pop, such as in the brilliant Hope to Love Again with its bright synth lines and pulsing rhythm you just wanna dance to. But what’s incredible, is they’ve made this shift whilst still retaining their vision - their heart and soul as a band. All their trademark elements are still there in abundance; the deep vocals, the tight drums and for me the most important element the dramatic and brooding bass sound so unique to Andy Keating.

Likewise on Repercussions the break sections have a punchy statacco synth rythym and there’s a lighter tone in Andrew’s vocals, which deliver a retro dance feel to the track, but at the same time there’s some great heavy riff work cutting across it too. A right mix, that works so so well.

Dreams Aren’t Enough is classic powerful, bass driven IST IST classic with an intense chorus with huge riffs and thunderous drums. And then, the next track Something Else is quite literally something else ! The synths are brought to the fore with bright tones and they drive a gothic dance classic of a track.

Things change up again with What I Know which has drums almost reminiscent of that 80’s repetitive electro 808 vibe, and a Depeche Mode like chorus that you just want to dance along to. Different, and I like it J

As the album draws to a conclusion, XXX is something else yet again, slow and inward looking, the vocals almost drip out of the speaker at you, as a rich tapestry of synth tones swirl around behind them as they wash around the room.

But the best is left to last, and my favourite track on the album….. And what a finale we get with Ghost. It hits you as something very very different – an IST IST ballad !? With just a simple piano backing to Adams brooding vocals it sits alone on the album. As “Light a Bigger Fire” ends, it draws you in to a quiet, intimate and reflective moment. But the track builds, the drums and guitar kick in and the atmosphere changes for a powerful instrumental segment, before dropping away dramatically again, drawing us slowing into the void, and silence - Simply stunning !

“Light A Bigger Fire” is a delightful and confusing conundrum, somehow it is mournful and heartbroken and yet jubilant and ecstatic at the same time. But it’s a conundrum you don’t need to solve. It sits on it’s own as something very very special, and is a contender for album of the year.

When we reviewed “Protagonist” IST IST asked what more could they do to get a 10….. Well quite simply….. this, and that’s without any cowbell – A golden 10 from LiveWire !