Isles
by Bicep
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
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  1. myfirstnameist
    Jan 24, 2021
    7
    The UK-based electronic duo Bicep released their second LP called Isles. It begins with “Atlas” a track that woke my memory of those euphoric moments attending music festivals before the pandemic that reminds me of those energies and blissful experiences listening to live electronic acts. The fading airy sample vocals of Ofra Haza in this track added to this very atmospheric mood. IThe UK-based electronic duo Bicep released their second LP called Isles. It begins with “Atlas” a track that woke my memory of those euphoric moments attending music festivals before the pandemic that reminds me of those energies and blissful experiences listening to live electronic acts. The fading airy sample vocals of Ofra Haza in this track added to this very atmospheric mood. I enjoyed those lo-fi sampling used in Cazenove. However, in totality, I felt like it went flat. While "Apricot" surprised me with glorious samples of sounds and styles of "Gebede-Gebede Ulendo Wasabwera" from Hugh Tracey's record Beating Heart - Malawi, and Svatba (The Wedding). The duo paid homage to Celtic folk they grow up listening to and shows their modern and refreshing take of these sounds. While tracks “Saku” and “X” totally put you in a trance, featuring the sweet vocals of the UK-based DJ/producer Clara La San immersing myself in Bicep’s trippy vibe. This mood continues in the track “Rever” featuring Bali instrumentation from Canadian cellist/composer Julia Kent contrasting the hashed vocals featured towards the latter part of the track. "Sundial" is a gripping track pulling samples from a Bollywood song and gave me the same multicultural sound experience in Apricots. I enjoyed the last track, "Hawk", featuring Korean Tokyo-based artist Machina. According to the duo, this track was resulted from their various experimentation using a Japanese synth, creating super weird noises.

    Isles is a trippy electronic album that you can binge on, possessing the qualities of good ambient music you can use as an escape and immerse yourself in euphoria. However, I feel like Bicep can explore more on their experimentation in appealing tracks like Apricots and Hawk and build on this strength. I am giving this my rating of 7/10.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. The Wire
    Apr 5, 2021
    70
    Isles offers multiple reboots of the “Glue” formula: chunky broken beats, keening voices in many languages, and duvet-warm basslines, as on lead singles “Atlas” and “Apricots”; the latter is based around a clip of the much sampled Bulgarian State Television choir. Guest vocalist Clara La San adds a femme-pop twist to “Saku” and a tight electro jam called “X” which is the best of the bunch. [Mar 2021, p.61]
  2. Beats Per Minute
    Jan 26, 2021
    73
    Isles is a headphones record as colourful as its artwork, and should be enjoyed to the fullest on its own terms, the work of an act in constant flux who refuse to rest on their laurels.
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  3. Pitchfork
    Jan 22, 2021
    63
    Isles has sparkling moments but it’s all a bit constrained, like a potted plant on a window sill that craves the natural wildness of a garden.
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