Neon Iglu – Stranput LP (Geenger Records)

Here’s some more music from the recent Geenger Records batch. As I said a billion times by now, they’re unstoppable this year. Neon Iglu is one of the label’s recent signups that resulted in a brilliant debut full-length called Stranput. Perhaps the sound of this band suits much more for some cold rainy days, but I decided to write about them today because they deserve your immediate attention. Neon Iglu possess incredible talent and musical abilities, so don’t be surprised if their musicianship hypnotizes you after the first notes and beats. There’s something cathartic in their music that forces you to listen to their debut album from scratch to finish without skipping tracks.

Stranput carries eight compositions with nearly the same relaxing, soothing, cathartic atmosphere but these numbers vary in length. The band and record label promoted this material with a couple of excellent singles, such as Fuga and Omen. To be honest, these two tracks showcase the true identity of an album but don’t be surprised if you stumble upon more excellent tracks along the way. Stranput goes right up my alley from beginning to end, and personally, I had some difficulties picking favorite compositions. Soundwise, Neon Iglu solely rely upon post-rock aesthetics, but they’re not afraid to experiment. Therefore, you’ll stumble upon other subgenres of rock music, such as alternative, indie, shoegaze, hard rock, and even blues. Still, the hard rock is probably minimally present in the entire mix. All these ingredients shape the colossal sound of Neon Iglu without spoiling each other. So, atmospheric post-rock is perhaps the most accurate definition of their music.

Right with the initial notes and beats of Stranput, you’ll notice Neon Iglu paid a lot of attention to the sound and articulation of each instrument. The calmer segments of these compositions resonate with clean-sounding guitars that carry almost equal amounts of highs and lows, while the mids are turned down a little bit. That way, all the articulations resonate with nearly chunky sounds. Also, neck pickups contribute with slightly warmer tones. Think of blues guitar sound, but with more highs involved. Of course, heavier parts include semi-distorted or entirely distorted shreds, cleverly arranged riffs, and other six-string acrobatics. The bass guitar also carries a decent amount of distortion, but these low-ends aren’t that fuzzy after all.

This way, excellent basslines provide more than necessary support to both guitars. Nothing would sound so profoundly dynamic without energetic rhythmic maneuvers. The drummer keeps the remainder of the band in line with thoughtfully arranged rhythmic segments and more than necessary accentuations over the cymbals without sounding too dominant. The calmy vocal parts serve as a contrast to the powerful music and fit nicely with the cathartic ambiance that this band unquestionably nurtures. Stranput is an excellent ambient post-rock album that fits any mood and occasion, so give a listen and support the work of this superb band by purchasing their vinyl record. Head over to Geenger Records for more information about ordering.