Los Angeles has always been a breeding ground for bands that are hard to pin down, and Bizou are a good example. Formed in 2017, the band brings together a stellar line-up: Marisa Prietto (Wax Idols, Glaare), Josiah Mazzaschi (Light FM), Nicole Fiorentino (The Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage) and Nicki Nevlin (Light FM). Five years after “Tragic Lover” (2021), they’re back with Widow, a six-track EP that shows off their more restless, experimental side.
Their sound mixes post-punk, darkwave, synthwave and alternative rock, with touches of shoegaze and industrial electronica. What stands out is how naturally they pull it all together. The synths do more than set the mood: they carry bright, enveloping melodies over insistent basslines, punchy rhythms and guitars bursting with energy.
“Deep REM” opens the EP with a strong whiff of Curve, especially in the clash between danceable electronica, industrial textures and abrasive guitars. “Widow” mixes synthwave and alternative rock along the lines of The Birthday Massacre, but with a faster, more driving pulse. It’s also the only track with acoustic drums, and you can tell: it has a much more organic drive than the rest, where drum machines rule. There’s room for more fractured rhythms and experimental moments too, like the almost noise-rock ending of “No One Can Have You”. The synths on “Death Mag”, on the other hand, lean towards Ladytron’s dark, melodic electronica.
Their cover of Wire’s “Ahead” deserves a special mention. It’s one of the most irresistible tracks here, thanks to a cracking bassline and a danceable groove. They used to play it as a rockier number live; here they turn it into a minimal, full-on darkwave take.
Against all that instrumental power, Prietto’s ethereal voice provides the contrast, delivering lyrics about absence, confusion, emotional exhaustion and losing control. On “Death Mag”, she even tackles suicidal despair with compassion, while the music around her is almost euphoric.
“Losing My Memory” closes the EP with one last surprise. It opens with a delicate Bass VI intro inspired by the musical notes Hieronymus Bosch painted on one of the damned figures in The Garden of Earthly Delights. From there, the track drifts into rhythmic, dreamy electronica, somewhere between melancholy and a zest for life.
Widow is well worth your time because Bizou don’t just stick to the darkwave rulebook. They add the punch of alternative rock, the sparkle of synthwave and almost dreamlike melodies, and end up with a sound that’s their own: lively and surprisingly bright, even when they head into the darkest places.
Listen to Widow in full here.
Keep up with BIZOU and their dark, dreamy sounds on Instagram | Bandcamp | Facebook