Tomatenplatten – 21 May 2021
BSÍ meld melancholy with energised defiance on bifurcated debut album.
Sometimes depressed… but always Antifascist is the debut album from Icelandic duo BSÍ. The dual propositions suggested by the title, which was inspired by a slogan the pair saw at a festival, prefigures the bifurcated nature of the album itself, which could almost be two split EPs. It begins with songs concerned with internally focused nostalgic content, before progressing into a more jubilant and defiant affair, shot through with raucous Riot Grrrl attitude. There is a definite pop influence that runs through these tracks, one which is demonstrative of a deft playfulness of composition. This impetus is coupled with an ear for somewhat unexpected arrangements, which utilise relatively few elements to craft an engaging if at times surprising aesthetic.
Things open with “My Lovely”, which is a sparse gentle number. Synths predominate, blending with subdued percussive notes and vocals that are imbued with a sorrowful elegance. This downtempo and ruminative mood is further explored on “Old Moon”, ‘you were lucky I’m good at forgetting, I was lucky you were bad at being mad.’ The register of mournful remembrance bolstered by a backing track rich with strung out synth notes that culminate in a soothing diminuendo.
“25Lue” has the chilled out spacious feel of vaporwave. The vocal harmonies sitting low in the mix, occasionally coming to the fore woven amongst what sounds like snatches of conversation and the faint breaking of waves on the shore. It marks the conclusion of the lower tempo part of the album, segueing into the immediately sunny, pop-flecked song “Vesturbæjar Beach”. The contrast provides a dynamic shift that feels like the emergence from the icy depths of winter into the more rejuvenated energy of Spring.
“Feela það” continues in this energised vein, with a powerful and impassioned vocal that channels the delivery of La Tigre, and much faster drums replete with frenzied fills. The song explores the culture of slut shaming and includes a spoken assertion of bodily autonomy, ‘I own my body, my body is not a political playground, it is not a place of legislation.’ Penultimate track “Dónakallalagið” ramps things up with chanted vocals and a highly distorted, gravelly call and response motif. The lo-fi approach really works, giving centre stage to the raw vigour of the track. This pared back freneticism is also the lynchpin of final track, “Alltaf Alltaf Stundum Alltaf” which inserts a telephone message to good comic effect, before ending on the combination of vocals and stretched synth.
Sometimes Depressed … but Always Antifascist is an arresting, quirky record. The earnestness with which topics such as dialogue around metal health and opposition to patriarchal oppression are approached, is shot through with moments of slightly absurd humour. What could feel preachy, instead feels light and ebullient in places, haunting and contemplative in others. It is a bold move to bring such variegated approaches to songwriting and structure together on one record. However, in this instance it is a gamble that has decidedly paid off.
