New Standard is the newest EP from the squamish-based indie rock four piece Cistern. A band that has a wide variety of music to offer that all fits in the same umbrella of warm and techy art punk mixed with some modern indie rock and post-punk reminiscent of bands like Parquet Courts and Ought. New Standard picks up where their debut record Head Full of Questions, left off in a way that exercises their use of home recording studio experimentation, wide-ranged song structures and dynamics and even your occasional spaghetti western exploration.

The song to kick this five-song rocker off is the groovy and melodic Crisis, a tune that has some very catchy and ear-grabbing guitar playing, as well as the often doubled gang vocals that shout the choruses over this chill and rhythmic jam. The understated nature of how Cisterns’ music is presented makes the final result so much more effective and makes them more unique in many ways. The second track off the record is Grief and is an absolute banger. Its emotive and snappy rhythm produce a momentum that feels fresh in cisterns music and has a great emotional and well-performed vocal performance on the whole track

Pendulum Keeps the energy moving along with its gang vocal chorus and its momentous drumming reminiscent of cistern alum band Novel. The bridge section chords add a slightly unexpected timbre that adds immensely to the somewhat more one-dimensional first part of the song. The fourth track is slightly more gentle and understated than the rest of the project and might be my favourite. It feels incredibly natural and cathartic as the chords are gently picked, and the vocals are delivered in a thoughtful and soft-spoken way that suits the band very well. The ending half of this song features some gorgeous melodies and some stunningly janky guitar playing that is a perfect counterbalance and one of Cistern’s signature qualities.

The self-titled final track, New Standard, shows off Cisterns’s building instrumental chops as well as their continuous love for bright vibrato layered guitar tones. The song slowly builds up into complete Spaghetti Western epicness with some massive vocal melodies wavering over the track in great thematic effect. The EP Broadens my excitement about this band to a whole other level. It’s a truly enjoyable and light-hearted listening experience. Well done lads.

Pre-order New Standard by Cistern HERE