Iglu & Hartly - And Then Boom Review

This California quintet, none of whom is called Iglu or Hartly, persuaded their many female friends to display various body parts on this album's sleeve, while the band themselves show off their bare rumps. Safe to assume, then, that I & H are party boys who'd rather have another beer than get in touch with their feminine sides. So why don't they sound like the Blink 182-style mess you would expect? Their debut is crisp electro-rock with a big hook in every tune, and lyrics that present them as a bunch of civic-minded young fellows. Violent and Young and their current hit, In This City, deplore youth crime and applaud self-improvement, and Jarvis Anderson's weedy rapping only heightens the earnestness. We'll See buries the vocals under layers of distortion, but is no less catchy for that....full text One of the few things that has definitely made a mark on this century's music is the influence of the '80s. Brits have always, and always will, love retro. Our tastes react well the world of 20 years ago, using and renewing it creatively - on the other hand there is the inexplicable popularity of crass '80s nights around the country.

Yet we are now reaching the end of this decade, and a review of the '90s is surely pending. With this in mind, Iglu & Hartley fit into an interesting place. Their debut album is, without question, '80s tinged, but blended with traits from the '90s as well.

The 1990s were a time swayed by unabashed pop and savvy commercial production. It was a decade that forged the path for a particular type of boy and girl band, and rap turned crap overnight. The almost inevitable cultural recycling has produced a 5 piece American, FM friendly, six pack greased, middle class, LA based electro/rap group who may strike a particular chord with the retro-loving UK....full text These LA rap-synth noiseniks caused a fuss at this year's SXSW in Austin. They then caused another fuss on the set of UK music show The Green Room by pissing in a chocolate fountain. Nice. Their debut falls between those two, ah, stools. On the one hand, it's riotously good fun; on the other, it's a bit naff....full text