Iglu & Hartly – & Then Boom

I'll be completely honest. On the first few listens through Iglu & Hartly's awkwardly titled '& Then Boom', I really didn't like it. Slightly bland, clearly 80's derivative, and with a vocalist/rapper that sounds like Joe Pasquale pretending to be a gangster rapper. Not a good first impression. Every track began to meld into one another, and before I could count to ten, the album had nearly finished. All that was left was the final track 'Jump Out Of Your Car' to show me how good '& Then Boom' could be. And boy, did Iglu & Hartly do it in style!Reviewing an album starting from the end is always strange, but 'Jump Out Of Your Car' is four minutes and fourty seven seconds of heartwarming golden rap brilliance. A persistent buzzy synth grinds away in the background, while drums positively dripping with miami vice bravado and brash sexuality race head to head with the singer. He skips and stumbles his words through the verses, before settling into a chorus that is almost irresistable. By the time that hook had finished, the whole vibe of the album just clicked together like a musical jigsaw. Okay, the music isn't the smartest or the most diverse, but it's excellently produced and very pleasing to listen to. The vocals do sound very much like some other american bands of the moment (see MGMT for details) when singing, but combine that with the eloquent, sometimes tongue tied rapping and you get something that can't fail to excite, especially when turned up loud. This is party music, end of.So, listening back to the album after having the Iglu And Hartly epiphany, what do we discover? Well, 'Violent And Young' has an excellent range of synthesizers, with a choral/string pad that stabs its merry way through the song at regular intervals. That's followed by 'Tomorrow', which sounds like a Police Academy film soundtrack, right at the moment when the heroic cop squad get kicking ass and making stupid noises, and possesses a) stupid fretless bass that is stupid but so so good, and b) an incredible chorus. It's the best track on the album by far. These guys really do do GOOD choruses, but they can be easily hidden under those quickfire raps. Thankfully, 'Tomorrow' shoves its hook right in your face like you were Peter Pan and it was well...Captain Hook? Maybe Iglu And Hartly could consider a name change to that instead, they certainly fit the moniker. 'Build' sounds like Snoop Dee Oh Dub's 'Sensual Seduction' remixed by Daft Punkon helium. 'In This City' is not really their strongest track, but clearly the most accessible of their catalogue, which is probably why it was the single. There isn't a slow song on this record, which is probably for the best, as it doesn't seem like Iglu And Hartly are about anything BUT having fun and getting people's feet moving. Fair play to them for sticking to their guns! Strong guitars and wildly over-produced vocals lend 'We'll See' a lot of power, the closest the band have to a track that sounds like a ballad. A Power. Ballad. Power. Ballad.And after 'Out There', which isn't remarkable, but is still perfectly pleasant, we arrive at....'Jump Out Of Your Car'. And THAT chorus. And for me, the whole cycle begins again. This album has been on loop for coming up to three and a half hours now, and it's still fun to listen to, which is pretty extraordinary. I don't feel emotionally attached to '& Then Boom'. It isn't a life changing album, but what it is is dizzy, fun-loving pop that makes you that little bit happier inside when you listen to them. '& Then Boom' is more than likely going to become the soundtrack to millions of nights out at Indie clubs nationwide, memories of drunken nights and dancing to songs that aren't pretentious or demanding, but still damn catchy in their own little way. The intial impenetrableness of the music could pose a problem, but not a large one at all when considering it's intended playing location - the common, house or garden party.If you don't like rapping in your modern music, steer clear. If you think the 1980's didn't have anything to offer aside shit hair and shitter clothes, go and get a fucking musical education regarding that particular decade, but for now steer clear. However, i can bet those people a small amount of money that they'll soon be hearing Iglu & Hartly pumping through a stereo near them, and regardless of their opinions, they'll still love it. & then some. 75%Iglu & Hartley on Myspace