Basht. is a Dublin-based guitar band that combines the energy of post-punk with the melodies of alternative rock. On their debut album ‘Poor Advice’, Jack Leavey’s vocals are at times so close to spoken word that the melody comes mainly from the guitars. He plays guitar himself alongside Lughaidh Armstrong Mayock, with Louis Christle on bass and Ryan McClelland on drums. The quartet recorded the album with Ali Chant, who has previously worked with PJ Harvey and Dry Cleaning.Many of the lyrics are about people being told how to live their lives. In ‘Perfume’, a son looks back on the breakdown of his parents’ marriage. Leavey tells the story from that family’s perspective and highlights how the Catholic Church in Ireland could interfere even in something as personal as a divorce. On other tracks, the band turns its attention to the arms industry. These songs explore who profits from war and how far removed those people are from the very people caught in the thick of it. Keep your head down, say your prayers and trust that those in charge know what they’re doing. That’s more or less the advice that gives ‘Poor Advice’ its name.