ISQ

ISQ’s soothing sound masks an album full of struggle, strife and a flirtatious flourish.

After the best part of a decade, Irene Serra steps back behind the mic with her fifth studio album. Performing under the name ISQ, the London-based vocalist combines jazz, soul and a hint of rock on The Silence Is Deafening to tackle everything from abuse and migration to family and a skiing trip.

The album has its fun and free-spirited moments, but it truly stands out when it confronts darkness and grit, striving to find the light.

The album’s penultimate track, ‘Angela’, is both its strongest and most jarring moment.

The song lulls you in with soft, tinkling xylophone-like notes and slow, trudging drums. You could easily be forgiven for letting the music wash over you as Serra’s charmingly light vocal performance opens the song.

Unfortunately, if you did, you would be missing the alarming truth within the lyrics and perhaps proving the song’s point.

Inspired by the UK’s Ask for Angela campaign, the song is told from the perspective of a concerned neighbour or friend as she begins to spot the subtle signs of domestic abuse and takes the first step towards reaching out.

“And I’d like to walk over and knock on her door,
maybe ask her for coffee or lunch, something more,
I’ll pretend not to notice that bruise on her face”

It’s a well-played juxtaposition of stark lyrics and soothing music, serving as a call to be vigilant and offer encouragement and support to those who need it.

Serra brings a relaxed congeniality to her voice that centres your empathy for the woman at the heart of the song, or drifts you into complacency if you’re not paying attention.

‘Kindred Spirit’, meanwhile, tackles the hardships of migration, enduring hostility and uncertainty while pushing forward to find somewhere to belong. The press notes explain that the song draws on two stories: that of rescue captain Carola Rackete, who brought migrants to safety at sea, and Serra’s mother’s journey from southern Sicily to Denmark.

A guitar carries a calm yet gloomy melody, establishing a bleak atmosphere in this understated jazz number.

The story opens with:

“Dirty face,
call me savage,
feel the earth on my skin,
been through hell and stormy waters,
you know not where I’ve been”

Produced by Irene Serra and Richard Sadler, ‘Kindred Spirit’ demonstrates a deft touch.

As ISQ offers:

“Til I find my own,
in lands unknown,
in a stranger’s tongue,
someday they’ll see she’s more,
more than skin and bones”

A cymbal shimmers into the arrangement and the guitar softens, easing the song’s bleakness and offering the listener a glimmer of the hope the storyteller is feeling. It’s the dream that fuels the fire, the light at the end of the tunnel.

Once again, Serra uses her voice to good effect, bringing out both the struggle to carry on and her subject’s resolute determination to do so. Her vocals blend into the darkness in one moment and rise towards the brightness in the next.

In promoting the album, ISQ has sought to centre women and their stories.

‘Faded’ explores the struggle to escape a controlling relationship, while ‘On Shoulders of Giants’ celebrates the people who helped shape our lives, drawing inspiration from a skiing trip (yes, really). ‘Animal’ examines the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship and acts as a companion piece to ‘Kindred Spirit’.

Despite Serra’s feather-light performances, the LP can feel a little heavy, and perhaps cognisant of this fact, ‘Lady Death’ arrives to spice up proceedings.

Sonically, the tune struts out of the gate with a confident blues-rock sound. There is a sense of mischievous danger as Serra brings a sultry charm.

The two would-be lovers aren’t convinced that this is going to end well, but boy, do they want each other. As with ‘Kindred Spirit’, the tone lifts slightly, as if to prove that there’s more to their attraction than just physical desire.

Overall, The Silence Is Deafening is assured in its ability to wear the musical equivalent of a velvet glove while driving home its message.