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Reviews

IZZ — Collapse the Wave
(Bandcamp no#, 2024, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-09-17

Collapse the Wave Cover art

Say what you will about Tormato and Drama — for many fans it would be something like “past their peak” or “not their best albums,” maybe tempered with “some good moments” — but in the instrumental department, few would argue that Yes didn’t still have its chops, and the combination of Chris Squire and Alan White made for a formidable powerhouse when the music called for it. I bring this up because one of the first things I notice about IZZ on Collapse the Wave is how much the bass playing reminds me of classic Squire in the context of 1978-80. Combine that with some tasty guitar and flashy keyboards, and the Yes comparison is even more appropriate. But I’m doing IZZ a disservice by going on at such length about Yes — there’s much more than that to their music, and the result is wholly their own. “Brace for Impact” takes their sound into different territory, grooving on a fast riff in 5/4 with a dark edge to it, even approaching a King Crimson feeling at times. And “Deep Inside” is a lovely folksy song with a simple piano part and acoustic guitars. At all times, the arrangements are tight without being over the top like some bands are — you know, those constant tricky fills with weird rhythms that you hear a lot these days. But really, with IZZ, it’s the vocals that set them apart from other bands. Laura Meade, John Galgano, and Tom Galgano all contribute vocally, and the interaction of the voices is one of the band’s key strengths. I’ve mentioned it before, but it’s like singers from a Broadway musical strayed into a rock band that can take their power and build on it. I know that not all progressive rock fans are also musical theater lovers, but it has to be admitted that most of the people who make it on stage have vocal abilities that can be applied in other contexts. Collapse the Wave is a darn fine album, and shows a band with a distinctive take on progressive rock.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): IZZ, Laura Meade

More info
http://izzmusic.bandcamp.com/album/collapse-the-wave

 

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