Album Review: Ys by Iron Chic

Long Island's Iron Chic are one of the most loved punk bands in the world. Combining mid-tempo punk rock anthems with jangling emo guitars they have made quite a name for themselves all. Their live shows are among the craziest I've ever been to and I always come away with a big smile on my face. That's not just because the band are amazing show men but also because they write really, really good songs. Last month they put out a brand new EP on Australia's Poison City Records named Ys. 

The first song, also titled Ys, reminds me of everything I love about Iron Chic. Shout-along, accessible punk rock music that makes you think. Lead vocalist Jason Lubrano has such a distinctive vocal style, at times it's like he's just talking in tune rather than singing. This makes the songs so easy to sing along with. Ys starts out slowly before slowly building towards a fist-in-the-air anthem. Eventually guitarist Phil Douglas joins in with the vocals and adds another excellent layer to the song. The song is a positive one, talking about going for your goals and not being afraid as things always work out for the best in the end. The second song is named The Dreaming And The Waking World. This is some more of the classic Iron Chic sound. It will never be said that Iron Chic are a band that dramatically change their sound, but if it's not broke don't fix it right? The Dreaming And The Waking World is another song that you will be singing from start to finish, with some great melodies and fantastic lyrics. Ys finishes with a cover of the Dead Kennedy's track Dog Bite. This is actually quite an up-tempo song for Iron Chic and is a nice little bonus track for the EP.

Iron Chic are the best! I can't wait for them to release a new full length album and to make it back to London soon.

Stream and buy Ys here: https://ironchic.bandcamp.com/album/ys

Like Iron Chic here: https://www.facebook.com/ironchicband