iretsu - fang

The latest album by Portland-based avant-pop quartet Iretsu is full to the brim with intention and energy. Iretsu set out to write and record a playful, diverse yet accessible album – and they’ve nailed it. Written in four improv sessions and then broken apart and rebuilt, these songs bounce off each other in compelling directions, revealing addictive new pop dimensions with each spin. From the chiming glockenspiel and wavering synth of the opening title track to the atmospheric throb of closer ‘Particles’, Fang is a wild, beautiful ride. Single ‘Humbuzzer’ is tightened to its maximum potential around an elastic post-punk tune, driven by a fantastic rhythm section and given lift-off by Ryan Cross’s keening vocal. Twilit ballad ‘Sleep’ is carried into the night sky by its eerie whistling line. And ‘Sexy, No?’ has one the catchiest and indelible hooks you’re likely to hear.