We Insist! - The Babel Inside Was Terrible

The French have one hell of a knack for post-hardcore. We Insist! are into their 15th year of being but the oddly entitled The Babel Inside Was Terrible demonstrates that these Parisians are in no danger of running out of ideas soon. Opener Deja VU is a coarse wee bastard. All snarls and abrupt guitar gymnastics, briefly lapsing into a catchy, building refrain. It's followed by the melodic and mathy Oakleaves, where contrapuntal guitar-lines are testimony to the band's experience and togetherness. Next up, Efficiency and Bad Habits flaunts We Insist's poppier side, with a melodic, often baritone, main vocal. A stand-out drum beat also marks penultimate tune Cogent Stories for special attention. The album is augmented throughout by an understated but effective use of additional instrumentation, including keyboards, glockenspiel and the dreaded saxophone. It's an innovative and compelling work, thoroughly deserving of wider attention.