Apparently you say ‘ee-hee’, which sounds a bit like a soft giggle. That’s the feeling that comes across in the music, as well. Zach Burba has described his cast of musicians, usually around five but including up to thirty people, as a ‘completely free and open musical entity.’ iji are a band that likes to play, gently exploring their instruments and running with hooked riffs and shimmering chords to make bounding and layered pop music. An uninhibited vibe runs through Whatever Will Happen, swerving as the album does through pop bliss, new wave rhythms, sugary charm and avant garde curiosity. There’s a sense of faux naivety and lived-in cool in the sound, like a diary kept through a slightly fantastic gaze. And that’s kind of what this is. On Whatever Will Happen, iji has whipped a notebook full of travel poems into a full length experimental journey. The result is nothing if not eclectic; a varied showcase for clear talent. Opener Cruisin’ USA is full of casual coastal delight and honest love, while Hard2Wait oozes with smooth charm. All The Light is a trippy foray into blissed out ecstasy, shifting between sparseness and business, and Bound 2 Glory competes with any of the best indie folk singalong tunes out there. A dozen or so albums down the line, iji are ever evolving and always moving, seizing on what they come across on their discovery and dancing with it. A dozen or so albums down the line, iji are ever evolving and always moving, seizing on what they come across on their discovery and dancing with it. This is a delight to listen to and a must-have for any earnest indie lover.
Read more at Drunken Werewolf.
