The debut album is always a tricky thing for a young band, especially one with copious talent and expansive musical interests. In such cases, the major obstacle to overcome isn't bland repetition. Rather, the problem is creating a recognizable musical identity out of the kaleidoscope of influences that a gaggle of fledging rockers will invariably bring to the table. While others may still have to sweat over pulling off such a feat, Iron Hero can breath a sigh of relief, as they've acquitted themselves admirably with their inaugural offering, Safe As Houses.
For a six-piece, the sound is surprisingly lean and muscular, with the rhythm section taking a prominent role in giving the songs an intoxicatingly propulsive character that never actually whips into an overheated boil. "Wearing a Wire" kicks the affair off beautifully with the aforementioned rhythm squad confidently providing a serpentine bed for more ethereal guitars and vibraphone to shimmer above beautifully. The result is both tense and a bit woozy, and it matches nicely Sam Gunn's worried-but-patient vocal delivery. The other rock songs on the album don't quite hit this height, but all contain similar elements and thus maintain some of that original charm. What's perhaps most impressive about Iron Hero is their inclusion of a couple songs that stray from this formula just enough (and at the right moments) to really give the album a fuller feel than a straight-up rock record. "Sleepy Eyes," a mellow, bass-heavy post-rock instrumental that would make Tortoise proud, arrives just after the halfway mark to soothe any frayed nerves, and "Terms/Conditions" functions as a late game mix of that cooler aesthetic with the rock song tension that underpins the rest of the album.
Gunn plays it pretty straight throughout the album as a vocalist, which is fine, but one senses that there's more that he could offer us melodically. The real hero of this outfit is Ben Simpson, whose bass playing is superb and captivating throughout. With these compositions benefiting from his inspired performances, one can only think that there is much more for this key member to offer on future efforts.
1. Wearing a Wire
2. Pilot
3. Heart of a Ghost
4. Spy Versus Spy
5. Voices Breaking Up
6. Sleepy Eyes
7. Cloudburst
8. Bomb Shelter
9. Terms/Conditions
10. We Should Run While We Have the Chance