Rhizome by Cistern

For fans of Talking Heads, Devo, The Smiths, garage rock revival, and the non-heirarchical organization of information, Rhizome by Cistern crowns the peak of the current post punk trend with their boundary-breaking approach and impactful storytelling. Where much of the post punk genre presents a wall of mechanical percussion and chirping guitars which slows down for no one, Cistern instead subtly, gradually, and thoughtfully adjusts every aspect of the composition to allow for a much wider breadth of emotion. When the band hits those more expected moments of driving intensity, we receive urgent commands to turn away from status quo authority, with the lyrics setting up a fundamental conflict between our communal interests and the ambitions of all forms of institutional power. Realistically, knowing everything we know about these systems, what they’ve done, and who they’re meant to serve, we’re left with no choice but to throw all our trust behind one another and survive by mutual assistance. In the approachable package of an expertly-executed indie rock record, we’re called to lock arms with our neighbor and brace for impact.