Short Reviews [Black Spy - 2018 - "I Dream of Noise"]

Finnish band BLACK SPY is a self-described Post Youth Rock band that have been around since 2007. "I Dream of Noise" is their first venture as recording artists, and this mini-album was released through fledgling label Sweet Recordings in early 2018. What we have here is an intriguing slice of Finnish lo-fi underground rock. A band that is both innovative and creative, showcasing that you do not need extensive recording budgets to create appealing music. This is also a band that doesn't seem to care about musical boundaries all that much, with rockabilly, ska and new wave elements thrown into the mix with garage rock, punk, krautrock and psychedelic rock. With a wee bit of post-punk and stoner rock as additional flavoring, as well as recurring flirts with noise rock. All of this accomplished by way of subtle differences in the use of pace, intensity and instrument details. There's something hypnotic and tribal about the songs here, and then the longer ones in particular. The concluding almost ten minutes long Let It Out the light that shines the brightest in my view, an intense creation that flirts with multiple of the style elements described and hits a krautrock meets punk dramatic finale that ebbs out with a noise rock cascade. Perhaps not music that will interest the greater majority of progressive rock fans, but an accomplished band that merits a check if the descriptions given sounds interesting. I'd advice those curious to start the inspection with the song Let It Out.