The return of bis is something to cause any indie fan to get excited about. It's also maybe cause to run to the dance-floor, or front of the pit. The trio's new record, Systems for Home Defence, is surprisngly dance-able. I'm not sure the Last Night From Glasgow is going to surprise any long-time bis fans, but the energy here did make me remember why I liked this lot in the first place, some 26 -- ahem -- years ago!
"Lucky Night" and "Shopping for Tattoos" are buoyant and peppy as hell. They're also catchy numbers, as is the Manda Rin-led "Headaches". This one sounds a bit like The Human League to these ears, and I think that bis have found a way to bridge the New Wave of the distant past with the more current indie-pop this Glasgow group has pioneered. And while bis moan about "Irrelevant Disco", they manage to use "(I Don't Think We're) Falling in Love" to re-imagine what dance-pop is capable of. The track, a real highlight here, is as light as air, but still surprisingly deep. The melodic line, less hyper than on other tracks, makes this one ease its way into the mind with real charm.
Manda Rin, Sci-Fi Steven, and John Disco have really surprised here with Systems for Home Defence. The songs are smart, necessary ("The Safe Routines"), and timely. And everything still manages to move with that familiar pep that's been part of everything this trio's touched in three decades. Stuff like "(I've Got My) Independence" also takes the bis sound to a new level, one where the sound's a bit more nuanced, but the same pertinent points are still being made. Systems for Home Defence is a big set of remeinders of why we've got to be thankful for bis! Their quality has never wavered, and they still sound as fresh as they did back when.
Systems for Home Defence is out now via Last Night From Glasgow.
[Photo: Sweeney/bis]