If you’ve ever listened to Brooklyn’s TV on The Radio, chances are, you’ve caught wind of Kyp Malone’s side project, Iran. Did you know that Dissolver is Iran’s third release to date? I didn’t think so. Comprised of the multitalented Aaron Aites, guitarists Kyp Malone, Aaron Romanello (of Grand Mal), and bassist Peter Hoffman (from The Mendoza Line), Iran is nothing like TV on the Radio, and Dissolver proves it.
“I Can See the Future” cracks the album wide open with lyrics spewing from a honest, humble mouth amidst the unmistakable twang of guitars. The entire track is definitely a dead-ringer for something that might be found along the landscape of any badass Clint Eastwood flick. What’s more is the hilarious effort behind the lyrics: criticism of the narrator’s life, in a scripted style. Sounds pretty innovative, right? With the schizophrenic fuzz of guitars, a plucking bass, an unshakable drumbeat, and the unparalleled vocal workings of Aaron Aites, what more could you ask for?
While “I Can See The Future” is rather energetic and upbeat, “Buddy” bears a striking contrast. More lethargic, the second track off Dissolver is still definitely something memorable. Musically, “Buddy” is reminiscent of the typical 1960s high school slow dance song, albeit with a darker complexity and fuzzy riffs. Lyrically, hearing Aites croon “…It feels like I’m dying…” and the rest of his self-deprecating ode to a dear friend manages to entertain. With electronic accents and talents of his fellow Iran cohorts and the echoing vocals of a distant choir, “Buddy” ends up as a really cool track. The piece culminates when all normalcy shatters at the end, and the dramatic entrance of distorted riffs and electronic fuzz ensues. Another slow track, “I Already Know You’re Wrong”, gives “Buddy” competition. Presented in the tried-and-true indie format, “…Wrong” might just be Dissolver’s most relaxed, legitimate track. This time, Aites opens with a soft, almost lullaby-like tone, set against a slight swishing of drums. With the brilliant, manipulative talents of Hoffman, Malone, and Romanello to boot, the cut comes across as eccentric and electronic, yet somewhat morose. The honest lyrics, “I already know you’re wrong/ but I’m not letting on” only further show that as a group, Iran doesn’t have a quaking, evil bone in its collective body, but rather, a conducive manipulation and mastery of various instruments.
“Airport ‘79” slightly confused me with its introduction – the catchy acoustic sound made me wonder if my mp3 player had switched to Brand New’s Deja Entendu. I was pleasantly mistaken. No doubt, “Airport ‘79” opens with a melancholy that might be likened to Brand New, but it picks up turning into a truely intricate track. I have never before encountered a song that details the flight experience of someone (Aites goes far enough to include the people he meets onboard the plane). “I’m sitting next to a man/and I think he knows who I am/ and I think I shook his hand” is just the beginning of the winding tale behind “Airport ‘79”. Is there a deeper meaning behind the title and the lyrics? Perhaps. Is it worth dissecting? I’ll leave that to you.
Two of the most fantastic tracks on the album are “Baby Let’s Get High One More Time Together” and “Where I’m Going.” “Baby…” is my absolute favorite track on Dissolver, if only because I find it the most lyrically and musically sound. Hoffman and Romanello’s soulful strumming is intoxicating, and I think the emotion they pour into “Baby…” would give Carlos Santana a run for his money. For sure, as the name states, this track is rather eccentric; when I first heard it, one seven-minute track you just might have heard before came to mind: The Doors’ “Light My Fire”. Like the classic Doors track, “Baby…” has a rather intricate, excessive keyboard solo/distorted guitar riff. On “Where I’m Going”, Iran really spreads its wings as a true experimental/electro force to be reckoned with. By means of Aites’s fuzzy phone-talk, a psychotic, droning guitar in the background, and mismatched piano and drumming, Iran’s reputation is defined: classy and chaotic.
The last few tracks of Dissolver turn up as sort of mixed bag. On one hand you have, “Digital Clock and Phone,” which picks up precisely where “Baby Let’s Get High One More Time Together” leaves off, never forgetting all the fuzzy, haphazard distortion. Tapping drumsticks, warm-up guitar exercising and synthesizer experimentation again test Iran’s credibility. Then, on the other hand, you have a track like “Cape Canaveral Buddy (Reprise).” I found Aites’s singing to be excruciating - it sounds like he’s enduring a root canal, sans anesthesia. Don’t get me wrong, the live cheering situated against the backdrop is really unique, it’s simply that the track is a bit too experimental. “Can I Feel What?” opens with a catchy, dark guitar riff, akin to Nine Inch Nails. Malone and Romanello definitely deliver on this track with their contrastingly dark riff against a surprisingly upbeat mix of drums and synth.
Overall, Dissolver solidifies Iran’s credibility as an electro / experimental quartet. The album is peppered with an intricate, dynamic sound via its blend of talented instrumentation. Aites, Malone, Hoffman, and Romanello work really well together, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them on tour with the likes of TV on The Radio or other renowned experimental groups later this year.
Dissolver was produced by David Sitek, recorded at Gigantic Records in Tribeca, and released on February 3, 2009 through Narnack Records.
Track List
1. I Can See the Future (2:33)
2. Buddy (3:18)
3. I Already Know You're Wrong (3:21)
4. Airport '79 (7:01)
5. Baby Let's Get High One Last Time Together (5:09)
6. Digital Clock and Phone (4:04)
7. Where I'm Going (5:14)
8. Cape Canaveral / Buddy Reprise (2:52)
9. Can I Feel What? (6:04)
10. Evil Summer (4:06)
