played its CD release party on Saturday at the , celebrating their latest offering – “Ishmael Isamov,” the band’s fifth album. With the self-released album, the three-man band continues to explore the boundaries of its distinctive sound – a kind of progressive punk/alternative rock alchemy.
ISMB has yet to catch the attention of the larger Denver underground music audience, but it continues to attract its loyal, long-time followers. About 75 people were on hand on Saturday when Caleb Tardio, Johnny Moses and Dylan Self took the stage to perform selections, primarily from their new album. The rock ’n’ roll trio brought all the familiar energy their fans have come to expect at ISMB performances over the last six years.
The new sound is still edgy and raw but with a bit more polish and a more interesting backbeat from drummer Johnny Moses. On the performance side, the group showed off it’s musical dexterity by swapping instruments a few times during Saturday’s show.
The new CD has great energy, but as a fifth album, it could benefit from a bit more variety musically. To be fair, there are two departure numbers on their new release — “A lil’ Slap ‘n Pickle” and “Stay Away From Oprah.” “A lil’ Slap ‘n Pickle” leaves the instruments in the background and opens with an extended, playful vocal arrangement. “Stay Away From Oprah” incorporates piano, which was a pleasing surprise that the band might consider in the future as a means of bringing more depth and dimension to the ISMB sound.
Lead singer Tardio’s voice has always been a draw for me. One gets the sense that he is regularly pushing his voice just beyond it’s ability only to reel it back in before it crumbles under the strain. While I admire his courage, there are several points in the CD where missed notes stray beyond what is forgivable. Don’t get me wrong, I like ISMB’s unique, compelling sound. What I’ll be hoping for from their next release, though, is to hear the band wrap their signature sound around a broader variety of tempos, more diverse arrangements and a bit more on-target vocal performance.
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Mark T. Osler is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Denver photographer and regular contributor to Reverb. See more of his work .
