Album review: Iress – Sleep Now, In Reverse

Active on the Los Angeles underground since 2010, moody quartet Iress finally look set to attract wider attention after a clutch of self-released and low-key albums. That time has been spent becoming more than the sum of their parts, said components being the desolate beauty of singer Michelle Malley’s voice and her band’s considered blend of shoegaze and post-metal. On this new full-length, the latter’s straightforward appeal gains greater emotional impact from the mournful vocal melodies, which in turn benefit from the graceful power of the musical context.

Perfectly chosen singles Falling and The Remains encapsulate the appeal of Iress, slowburning tunes which cast a compelling spell as they gradually reveal their magic. Ever Under is a showcase for Michelle’s ability to project poignancy in both subtle and stormy settings, while sort-of title track In Reverse sounds like ethereal art school types Bat For Lashes or Florence & The Machine given a chunky-riffed makeover. Speaking of which, Knell Mera finds the band at their most explicitly metallic, even if the grandiose doom on offer co-exists with understated and portentous gothy verses.

The enveloping mood that persists throughout Sleep Now, In Reverse is conjured so wholly that some of its songs struggle to emerge through the gloom. Closing track Deep offers a modest corrective, stripping things back to just Michelle’s fragile vocals and a simple, heavily-reverbed guitar figure. The raw intimacy on display suggests that Iress would benefit from exploring the boundaries of their sound a little more next time. There is, however, plenty here in which to lose yourself, a sonic sanctuary for those willing to wallow in exquisite melancholy.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Slow Crush, Spotlights, Chelsea Wolfe

Sleep Now, In Reverse is released on July 26 via Church Road