ISQ have put out Angela today, the last preview from their new album The Silence Is Deafening – which is out on 23 October and is their first album in 8 years.
ISQ is led by singer and songwriter Irene Serra, who has been making records under the name for more than 20 years. The new single takes its name from the UK's Ask for Angela campaign (the code phrase you can use at a bar if you feel unsafe on a date), and it came out of conversations Irene had with a close friend who worked for the domestic abuse charity Refuge. The song is told from the point of view of the neighbour, friend or family member who can see that something is wrong but doesn't know what to do about it.
It isn't all bleak though – Irene says: "It is a song about violence, but also about the possibility of freedom, survival and a future beyond abuse."
Musically, the press release describes it as slow-moving and percussion-led, with a soulful vocal over the top. What struck me is the contrast between the mood of the song and how bright the melody actually is – it's a pretty dark subject, but the tune doesn't sound dark at all. That tension between the two really works, and it gives the track a lot more emotional depth than you'd get from a straightforward sad song.
Angela follows the previous single Faded, and the album runs to 8 tracks covering women's lives, identity, migration, family and relationships, mixing alternative pop, jazz and what they call "atmospheric textures".
They've got a few live dates coming up, mostly in and around London:
- 15 October – Crazy Coqs, London (album launch show)
- 29 October – International Concert Series, Royal Holloway University, Egham
- 7 November – The Folklore Rooms, Brighton (matinee show)
- 19 November – Cadogan Hall (Culford Room), London, as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival
Listen to Angela here: https://s.disco.ac/jswgszokswub