7/10
After we heard their impressive 'Scum With Boundaries' album last year, we knew that The I.L.Y.'s project was going to be something worth keeping an eye on. Founded by Death Grips member Zach Hill and fellow musician Andy Morin, the pair have so far been trying to push the boundaries of the art-rock sound in order to develop something truly unique yet still engaging. And with the release of their new album 'Bodyguard', it seems they have dropped all the pretence and gone straight for a commercially-accessible record.
While their previous album was still very much on the radio-friendly side, especially when you compared it to the work of Death Grips, 'Bodyguard' goes even further to create a pleasing listening experience, but manages to fall just short of going down the quaint, pop nonsense route. In fact, there are plenty of tracks on this album that showcase not only their musical versatility, but also seem to produce a succinct direction this time around. Making us believe that this is more to Hill than just another side-project.
It may not have that instant grab-factor that their last LP had, but it still makes for a fine listen. The I.L.Y.'s have certainly matured a lot in the last 12 months or so, and will hopefully continue to do so in the near future.