'ITSA' Banger, the New Single from L’objectif

Leeds band L’objectif have released new music after a whole year of not releasing anything, and I think it’s safe to say that they are back and better than ever. ‘ITSA’ is their new concoction, and it is so clear they are growing up together and finding their sound as a band. For such young people, ages approximately 19/20, they are making their way up in the indie scene at a very fast pace. 

The title of this track ‘ITSA’ is interesting to start with before even listening to the song. It’s taken from the lyric “It’s a sin / It’s a sin / It’s a…” in the chorus. They could have named the song ‘It’s A’ but they didn’t, and it makes for a memorable and catchy name.

The very first thing we hear as the song begins is a sharp intake of breath from the vocalist Saul. The way he harshly breathes in is like he’s tired and fed up. This is paired with the first word of the song “Wow”, in a droning tone, a staple of Saul’s. This song, to me, is about being exhausted and not feeling like you belong, hence the lyric “I just got back down to earth / not sure if it’s my home turf”. The contradiction of this with the uplifting guitar strums from lead guitarist Dan is the classic happy music sad lyrics combination, which is all too familiar in the indie scene, but it never gets old. 

Something we haven’t heard much from L’objectif before is electro synth sounds, which we get a taster of in ‘ITSA’ after the first chorus, a very subtle hint of electric bass but it’s definitely there and it works amazingly with the simple melody of this song. Exploration of new directions is so important for up-and-coming bands, and L’objectif are already starting to do this, even at this early stage in their careers, whereas most people their age are just starting out. 

Let’s talk about the small solo we get at the end chorus from Dan. So ethereal sounding and skilful. Resembling that of bells and twinkle sounds. The introduction of brass in this song is incredibly exciting for this band. And the simple horn progression paired with Dan’s beautiful guitar solo at the end is the perfect crescendo of noise to end this song, like it’s all been building up as the song goes on and needs to be let out by the end.

The perfect ending to a perfect song with the horns fading out and finishing this journey of estrangement and wondering.

Izzi Glover

@izziglover / @izzigloverphotography

Image: ‘ITSA’ Official Single Cover