We’re apparently living through yet another rock revival of sorts where artists are finally starting to get bold once again in carving out their own identity. That’s great, but holy fuck, do ira glass really live and breathe that sentiment of singularity loudly, as the buzzworthy Chicago four-piece of vocalist and guitarist Lise Ivanova, bassist Kaleb Wallace, drummer Landon Kerouc, and saxophonist Jill Roth are a beyond describable wonder doing the city’s underground rock scene saint Steve Albini and his Electric Studio Audio lineage proud through their bastion of noise rock, volatile post-hardcore, and explosive free jazz that eludes all concrete shape.

With joy is no knocking nation, their second EP following last year’s breakthrough, compound turbulence flexing for the heat, it’s as if the band’s feral instincts to celebrate this raw, messy, confrontational yet charismatic bout of noise are only growing stronger. Their defiance to box themselves into any certain corner? Well, that remains part of the unexpected thrill upon hitting play — these five tracks within are nothing alike yet still somehow manage to piece themselves together in spite of their edges being jagged and frayed.

Central to that energy are Ivanova’s frontperson prowess and unscrutable lyricism. They’re a thing of poetic impressionism which you can probably surmise are directed at societal ills and cruelties, and the ugly faces behind causing them. She delivers these fits brazenly throughout in destructive musings and rabid screams. They’re symbiotic with the cacophony surrounding them, sounding like anything from a head-spin into nausea (“it’s a whole ‘who shot john’ story”), a factory operation on verge of meltdown (“fd&c red 40”), a night out in the city that starts with cautious promise, takes a violent climactic turn, and still ends with a drink at a swanky bar (“fritz all over you”,) or the neighbor’s holiday party with a full-blown argument thrown into the middle of it somewhere (“that’s it/that? that’s all you can say?”) That joy ira glass attest to? It’s found in turning destruction onto its head.

Highlights: “it’s a whole ‘who shot john’ story”, “fd&c red 40”, “fritz all over you”

ira glass’ joy is no knocking nation is available now on Angel Tapes / Fire Talk.

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