I finished last week by writing about Dog, Paper, Submarine, possibly my personal favourite album of the year to date, and I didn’t realise at the time of the connections to I Am Bones, at least not until I spotted DPS thanking them in their Bandcamp credits - apparently the bands toured together a while back.
I Am Bones are from Denmark, and although the band have been playing for many years, they don’t regularly release new material – with just one other EP in the last 10 years, their 2018 release ‘Oaf’. Now they’re back with ‘Lobster Vibes’, and it’s loud, dark, slightly intimidating and a really enjoyable listen.
Behind I Am Bones is the influential songwriter Johannes Gammelby, maybe better known for his releases with The Malpractice, and to a lesser extent Beta Satan. There are 4 tracks on ‘Lobster Vibes’, and that dark and intimidating style of noisy rock is explained further by the band:
‘’Thematically, the music, lyrics, artwork and title all share a common thread - a struggle against claustrophobia in a social, physical, psychological and creative sense. Something at the heart of all of it feels cornered and is charged with a desperation’’.
Songs to remind us that not everything is always rosy and sweet smelling even after lockdown I guess.
‘Lobster Vibes’ is impressive right from the opening of ‘Syphon’, even if clearly it will be way too dark for some, with guitars that will pummel away at your ears and the vocals almost screeching in desperation. But beyond that it’s interesting rhythmically, and maintains a constant intensity. ‘Restorer' even offers a meandering melody of sorts, all accompanied by a mix of staccato and driving guitars.
I love title track ‘Lobster Vibes’ for its wayward instrumental section from the middle of the track all the way to the end, whilst ‘Let’s Not’ is challenges brilliantly the claustrophobia of daily life, particularly scathing on the traditional escape to the all inclusive holiday: ‘’Beach resort 10 o'clock compulsory yoga sesh / Dreaming of the free buffet / in the sun festering / We form a line of euro slime / salt for snails’’.
Way too loud and dark for some of course, but I Am Bones really deliver a hefty punch musically and lyrically.
Find them on Facebook.