Iron Chic – The Constant One

Iron Chic is not your average Bridge Nine band. While I haven’t pored through every lyric on every release from the label known for its’ connection to hardcore, it’s safe to say that this is likely the only album to feature an obvious nod to 90s alternative pop group, Gin Blossoms (on True Miserable Experience). Their second full length comes on a wave of hype, as if they are the saviors of the pop punk genre. But their nod to the melodic pop 90s foreshadows that The Constant One is far from a pop punk album.

The band aim for a pop rock sound with a heavy dose of emo and melodic hardcore added in. Keeping in line with current trends, their vocals lean more toward the gravel throated style rather than the sweet melodies of early Jimmy Eat World or Saves the Day. One could easily assume that there is a prevalence of beards and flannel in the band. Back when they were listening to the Gin Blossoms and picking up their pop melodies, they likely also listened to their fair share of Samiam, which shines through in a few bright spots. There is a painfully unnecessary 8 bit intro to Spooky Action at a Distance that completely ruins an otherwise good song. The End (the actual album intro… so witty) is a skip over track that adds nothing to the album. It seems like a love or hate type of album. It takes many listens to begin to pick apart the different songs. The songs lean toward the long side, hovering around the 4 minute mark, plodding along at slow tempos for the most part.

Picking out the vague pop culture references is fun, from He-Man & the Masters of the Universe to slackers Bill and Ted to old school Superman. But despite all of the potential for singing along (which I imagine these guys see plenty of coming from sweaty happy crowds), the lyrics fall a little flat, obscure jokes diminishing the existential discussions they are trying to have with their listeners.

Iron Chic has created a decent album for their second full length. It does not stand up well against the majority of Bridge Nine’s roster, but I assume that the label are looking for a band with “indie credibility” to help finance their hardcore releases that have a much smaller audience. No doubt there are piles of listeners who love this album. The musicianship is top notch, although it doesn’t leave room for a lot of variety. The songs tend to blend together in a Foo Fighters sort of way, where you can never exactly remember a specific song 5 minutes after listening to it. But again, they have a huge following in the pop rock crowd too. Iron Chic has created a pop rock album with emo influences that will likely have huge appeal to Iron Chic fans. For the rest of us, it unfortunately may quickly fade to unnoticed background music.