The San Francisco-based Tumult label has been releasing quite a varied lineup of records over the
past few years; after black-metallers Weakling and the beautifully understated Souled American comes
this release from Iran. Iran champion “noise rock," with the emphasis on noise--referencing Sonic
Youth and the Dead C with intentionally alien production and weird clashes of instrumentation.
The songcraft shines on “Take It Through Me,” accented by dirgey guitar hooks, xylophone flourishes,
and vocal twists. “Stillborn” shows that they can play the drone, rhBand-style. None of the tracks
are excessive, apart from the natural self-indulgences of the genre, and the overall effect is a
record that blows the hell out of the Fly Ashtray. The noise can get really thick (“Radio Galaxies”),
but the pop can still sound really catchy (“Jets and Sprites“). Iran are good at incorporating
ideas from their influences without sounding specifically like any of them. Maybe as they mature a
bit they will soon produce something that is spectacular.
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