Ex-Isles
Domestic Sacraments

LA RECENSIONE

It is by no means easy to talk about an Ex-Isles album, or at least to place it in the vast sea of musical genres (whether it's even necessary is another matter). They are undoubtedly a pop group, or rather art-pop, but it would be quite reductive to categorize them as such. I was already fascinated by them five years ago with their debut, Luxury Mass (which I recommend checking out), but with this Domestic Sacraments, they have outdone themselves. What is truly incredible is that they haven't added anything new compared to their debut album, yet their music contains such complexity and a chain of elements that it still leaves one astounded. Domestic Sacraments is not just any album, nor is it a mere exercise in style, even though it is rich with elements and cues. Domestic Sacraments is a continuous alternation of harmonizations that flow smoothly into caustic scratches that tell us about the thin line between awareness and madness and how our throwaway society is nothing but a nihilistic weapon of self-destruction. Yet, the listening experience remains simple, it flows perfectly, never feeling heavy or cloying. I believe this is precisely the strength of the album, what contributes to making it an excellent product, impactful, one of those that leaves a mark or at least makes us reflect. In conclusion, you may not like them, but the Ex-Isles, in my humble opinion, are writing important pages in music over the past few years.