Is It Now? is the third album from Los Angeles-based trio Automatic, a masterclass in modern post-punk and new wave with layered synthesisers, driving basslines, and motorik drums. Across these tracks, Automatic address themes of consumerism, alienation, and the search for joy amid societal collapse.
It's the first time Izzy Glaudini (synths, vocals), Halle Saxon (bass, vocals), and Lola Dompé (drums, vocals) have invited an outside producer. Collaborating with Loren Humphrey, whose recent work includes Cameron Winter and Arctic Monkeys, the band build on the minimalism of previous albums Signal and Excess. Songs are recorded live to analogue tape, adding grit and depth to the sparse arrangements.
Opener 'Black Box' sets an off-kilter tone with bossa nova drum fills and airy synth chords. 'MQ9' weaves in wailing siren effects and wind-like tones, echoing the song’s subject of automated warfare. The brilliant title track 'Is It Now?' features call-and-response vocals, a defiant individual set against a chorus of mass culture. It's an upbeat back-and-forth set to synth-punk rhythms. 'The Prize' takes a darker, slower turn, looking at the environmental impact of fossil fuels through a swell of synths and steady drums.
Throughout Is It Now? Automatic confront these urgent issues with wit and energy. The band's political messages come through what they call "joy as resistance," using rhythm and melody to maintain empowerment in the face of chaos.
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Is It Now?
Automatic