Glasgow's Bis tweak their indie pop quirkiness on their fourth album,
Return to Central, and it's a desirable and funkadelic feel-good mix of Bis' signature disco hooks and thick pop beats. Surely their most ambitious release, Bis shrug off their post-pubescent punk-pop snarlings and kiddie chants found on
The New Transistor Heroes and
Intendo and make
Return to Central a vibrant twist in their Teen-C Revolution.
Manda Rin tames her little girl rants for something sassy, tossing all criticism aside to transcend into electronic bliss. She and Bis cohorts
John Disco and Sci-Fi Steve frolic with new wave synth breaks, and let their fondness for
Talk Talk,
New Order, and
Can be known. "What Are You Afraid Of" and "Silver Spoon" splice heavy techno-pop with Rin's vocalic glossy flare; however,
Sci-Fi Steven's and Disco's riveting guitars on "Chicago" shimmy into Bis' finest moment on "A Portrait From Space," a loopy celestial soundscape of floating orchestration kicked off with old-school Nintendo samples, yet it's the dream pop guitar work that sets up Bis' new rock cleverness. Bis isn't consumed with angst for the music follower, for they'd rather spiral into club land in their own musical mystery.
Return to Central allows Bis to relish in their fun and self-indulgence without them being regarded as snotty indie punks. A sophistication is cast, spawning Bis' bold move from "Kandy Pop."
–
MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi