Release Date: 17 December 2023
Song Count: 11
Rating: 8.4/10
Description:
Today's album is quite a niche one, originating from Cape Town-based underground band Cistamatic. A trio of artists and punk musicians hidden from the mainstream limelight, they've been in the scene as one united force for just short of exactly 7 years, making music and keeping active in their local scene. Now That's What I Call Cistamatic! is the first outright album out there that they've released, and it most certainly sprints in with quite an entrance.
As a punk rock album, the tracks all generally carry over the signature sound of the genre, alternating between the conveyance of anger, grit and raw energy on one side, and approachability and melody on another, yet achieving all of these effects with solely a classic instrumentation of guitar, bass and drums and a vocalist bringing in her own flair and vitality atop it. While these vocals don't always fit what is being played on the instruments in a conventional way, at times showing themselves as far softer, cleanly sung or siren-like sounding than what the much heavier music underneath it may suggest, it never sounds particularly unpleasant or out of place, instead piquing interest in an angle of curiosity rather than judgement. Being an underground album in the punk and garage rock genre that is invoking more of a "live recording" type of tinge, the production quality and sound cleanliness isn't kept to the highest of standards, and mistimings or misplays can be heard at some moments, though with it likely being at least partially a stylistic choice, it's at worst a minor drawback to nitpick.
The latter half of songs hone in more on showcasing both the vocal talents and range of the singer as well as the progression of starting off on a slower rhythm and progressively leading up to an increase in speed and weight up until a bombastic and energetic payoff is reached later in the songs, making for a captivating listen that repeatedly pulls one back in.
What is additionally noteworthy about the album is the lyrical topics each track tackles and the way they are presented to the listener, as the emotive yet clean and often articulate vocals act as a delicately balanced foundation to the messages being sent. Themes of activism and feminism are common ones amongst the catalogue, and are sent out there in a very direct and no-nonsense manner - the songs see no time or reason for metaphors, analogies or otherwise sugarcoated language if it means letting the listener know what they stand for, which is a bold yet respectable approach that falls in line with the genre's characteristical purpose of giving an unfiltered voice to those standing for such causes.
Tracks to highlight in particular include the sincere and fury-filled "Wolfgirls" about breaking female gender expectations, the more melodic and glamorous "The Man" about gaining independence and becoming a provider in a heavily patriarchal society, the youthful and indie rock-tinged "Masochist" about trying to handle a lover unable to deal with their own problems, and the sonically progressive and electric "Over Over".
To sum up, for me, Now That's What I Call Cistamatic! was an enjoyable insight into a truly hidden gem of music, and overall a great listen - and if you consider yourself interested in genres like indie, punk or garage rock, this could potentially be a great album to check out for you as well.