King Isis - “MONKI”

SXSW 2024 - OEB Score: 9; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…Remi Wolf, spill tab, waterbaby

Part indie-rock, part post-punk, part R&B, King Isis’s genre bending approach yields a sound that is constantly interesting while still keep a pop bounce at the forefront. Their upcoming sophomore EP is shed, previewed by a couple songs that are amongst the deeper, psych-rock leaning tracking in King Isis’s early catalog. The dynamic between a funky-backbeat, dream-pop verse and a full alt-rock chorus recalls the best of 90s grunge, but there’s more mystery in King Isis’s music than the straight-ahead riffs of thirty years back. The twists of soul-pop displayed on “MAKE IT UP” are a unique turn on the angular riffs that take hold much of King Isis’s songs together. It adds groovy comfort in unexpected ways and calls out King Isis as a unique songwriter willing to blend genres with a smooth touch. Their latest tracks are more creative and detailed than King Isis’s debut EP scales, a sign that they’re an artist willing and able to grow into a musical space all their own. (Kevin McStravick)