- Mar 7, 2020

New Album: "Play the Game" by The British IBM

Motivational Muses Review | by Anastasia Logan

Released on: February 21, 2020

Indie rock meets folk Americana in Play the Game, the new album from The British IBM. Unlike their past albums, Play the Game, takes a step away from the usage of strings and synths. Instead allowing guitars to become central in the instrumentation. This is kind of brilliant. By doing this, the listener is able to fully immerse themselves in the album.

"Darkness Follows" starts the album off with a very intense vibe. Many of these elements are reflective of a rock influence. From the heavy guitar and intensity of the vocals. This song definitely stands out from the rest and leave a curiosity of what is to be expected as the album continues.

Another standout track would be "Sunrise Technology." Everything about this song is a stylistic shift from what was presented throughout the entirely of the album. This song is a true acoustic piece that allows the listener to have a moment of pause before the conclusion of the album. One personal favorite aspect of this song would be the instrumentation in the beginning. A majority of the other tracks utilized drums for the intro, but this track was true to the guitar central instrumentation and allowed a unique beginning that was not common in other tracks.

While folk Americana influences were present throughout the album, "I Don't Miss the Eighties" was the staple for this style. There are almost country like vibes with this song due to the blue inspired guitar. I personally wish there were other fully folk Americana tracks in this album, but this one did such an exceptional job of creating an essence, I'll let it slide.

The remaining tracks are variations on the indie rock style. "Man of the Hour" is fast paced, while "Without a Smile" has more pop influences. These differences help alternate the album to keep it moving along without over or underwhelming the listeners.

Overall, Play the Game is a wonderful take on the combination of genres that come together in a well rounded final product. Make sure to give The British IBM a follow on their social medias to stay up to date with everything they are creating!

The British IBM are a three-piece indie rock band from Cambridge.

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