As the summer comes to a close and we trade in our t-shirts for hoodies and board shorts for long pants, alternative reggae rockers Iration hit us one more time with a reminder of days warmer and lives easier. Hot off the trail of 2013’s Automatic, and the success of 2010’s Timebomb which sold over 36,000 copies, the band’s latest pressing Hotting Up, out digitally Friday, August 28th and in stores Friday, October 9th, has what it takes to top the charts once again.
The Hawaiian-born and California-formed reggae-rock quintet has been steadily building a dedicated grassroots following since their beginnings dating back to 2004, releasing three EP’s, and now their fourth full-length album.
For this new release, Iration linked up with a team of acclaimed collaborators including producer and co-writer David Manzoor (Lupe Fiasco, R. Kelly, Llyod), Grammy Award-nominated mixer Mark Needham (Imagine Dragons, The Killers, Fleetwood Mac) and engineer Will Brierre (Imagine Dragons, Youngblood Hawk, Chris Isaak).
Opening the album is “Reelin”, the reverb friendly first single getting plenty of airtime around the country, highlighting in radio markets including Santa Barbara, CA; Honolulu, HI; and Wilmington, NC. The skank rocking ‘HEY-ey-ey’ cut has clocked up almost half-million hits on the band’s Soundcloud. In this one we have cries of “Oh, no”, longing, and a beautiful scat from the lead in reggae rhyme. A lady’s got him reelin’, yet set to the tones of the beach it’s a beautiful Indian summer anthem.
“Stay Awake” comes bursting through like a flash-mob marching band. Soulful yearning and pleading with the lady continue the album’s theme of relationships falling apart, sorrow, and loss. “I might not be the perfect guy you hopes to find…” The horn laden island rhythm conjures up the sounds of early 90’s top 40, not a bad thing at all, aptly capable to substitute as the perfect hook for any current hip-hop hit, but it’s all ours.
“Lost and Found”, track three perpetuates the album’s arch as the mild acoustic strums and we receive the croons of repeating, “Take me back”. We’re invited inside, a scrapbook of secrets in the band, the beach, and sunburned cheeks. Two minutes in, the David Lynch inspired country guitar whines and wails, possibly inspired by engineer Will Brierre’s work with Chris Isaak.
“Hotting Up”, the album’s title track is a mix of patient Drum-n-Bass beats with the sounds of late 80’s U2 distortion before the drop. Highlighting the band’s multiple genre bending sound, the funk-soul Robert Randolph-esque single preaches “Summertime weather is better but not enough, I’m hotting up.”
Overall mellow and somber, neither a rock album nor a reggae pressing exclusively, with the electronic dance beats of “867” and rock thrust of “Guns Out”, Hotting Up spans a handful of moods and genres, perfect for the fan or casual listener alike. The release is an excellent effort by Iration.