The follow up to Bicep’s incredibly successful 2017 debut album arrives at a time when festivals are off limits, and dancefloors have gone dark. The result is a record that’s labelled as home listening, heavy on vocal samples, and rich in percussive rhythms, while naturally being an extension of the first. The longest inclusion is six minutes on the nose, with the run time of the entire project finishing just shy of 50 minutes. And while it comes strong with tracks like Atlas and Sundial, it also includes
a few lacklustre productions in Cazenove, Lido and Hawk, which sound more like filler tracks that are there to make up the tracklist. On the positive end of things, the inclusion of Saku (featuring the wonderful voice of Clara La San), Apricots and the previously mentioned Atlas and Sundial, do make this one an essential listen from the 2021 album calendar, so far. Below you’ll find our recommended starting points for Isles, more music from the Irish duo, and a few other albums that are worth your time if you’re enjoying this one.
Where to start:
Atlas: Blissful harmonies and lean percussive rhythms
Saku: Steady synth pads meet uplifting vocals from Clara La San
Rever: Melancholic atmospherics and crunching drum grooves
Previous from Bicep:
Bicep LP (2017, Ninja Tune)
Dahlia EP (2015, Feel My Bicep)
If you like this then check out:
George FitzGerald – All The Must Be LP (2018, Domino)
Floating Points – Crush LP (2019, Pluto)
Bicep – Isles LP is out now on Ninja Tune.