Adebisi Shank –This Is The Second Album Of A Band Called Adebisi Shank

Late to the party, yes.  But really, it’s never too late to heap praise on an amazing piece of work, and three weeks on from the internet shitstorm that greeted its arrival, This Is The Second Album Of A Band Called Adebisi Shank continues to impress and reveal new layers. No question about it – there’s a depth and subtlety to this record that only belongs to the finest.

Developing and fleshing out their already distinctive sound with all manner of extra instrumental flourishes, the Wexford trio pull off the deftest of balancing acts: dazzling, dizzying experimentation seamlessly coexists with infectious hooks and rhythms; punchy, gargantuan riffs collide with electronic pulses; atmospheric numbers rub shoulders with adrenalized thrashers. There’s so much going on it’s almost overwhelming, but pace is the trick – the album is sequenced to perfection, yet another sign of the sheer craft that went into making it.

The sustained excellence of the album means that individual highlights probably differ for everyone. ‘Genki Shank’ builds superbly from a rumbling, floor-shaking bassline to a full-on tour de force featuring winding guitar lines and possessed-sounding vocoders. ‘(-_-)’ is a mellow, hypnotic pause for breath that shows off an array of ambient sound effects and an insistent, looping drum beat. Closing track ‘Century City’ ends with an ace electronic freak-out, while if there’s anything on Battles’ next LP that manages to rival ‘Logdrum’ for jaw-dropping falling-down-the-stairs excitement, we’ll eat our (hi-)hats.

You know what’s especially awesome? Along with labelmates The Redneck Manifesto, Adebisi Shank are essentially godfathers – or at least massively influential figures – within a domestic scene that’s currently enjoying such an amazing purple patch. Shank drummer Michael Roe is head of the Richter Collective label, and both acts have watched as band after band (Jogging, BATS, Enemies…) has released great record after great record on the label or elsewhere, and then they simply came along and went one better, both putting out supreme LPs (Friendship in the case of The Rednecks) that prove that the masters are still the masters. These are halcyon days for Irish music – savour them while they last.