REVIEW: Post Animal’s IRON Hits With Heart, Humor, and Heat

When Post Animal set out to make a new album, it had been nearly ten years since all six founding members of the indie psych rock band (composed of Dalton Allison, Jake Hirshland, Javier Reyes, Wesley Toledo, Joe Keery, and Matt Williams) had made music together.

Life had pulled the group in all different kinds of directions. Having previously been collectively based in Chicago, the band now found themselves living in different states, working through different creative projects, and in Keery’s case, leaving the band in 2017 to focus on a booming acting career. But, after the release (and success) of Post Animal’s 2022 album, Love Gibberish, Keery found himself attending a Post Animal show in New York, and a new idea was hatched: it was time to get the band back together and cut a new album with all six members.

The result is IRON (out July 25), a record born from a month of the group being in close quarters: writing, recording, experimenting, and just existing as a unit. Not only does the album mark Keery’s return, but it also instills a renewed sense of creative freedom that is rooted in trust, longevity, and friendship.

The end product reflects exactly that. It’s loose where it wants to be, locked-in where it needs to be, and always alive with the energy of reconnection.

In many ways, IRON feels like Post Animal’s most cohesive and confident work to date. The Chicago-bred band has always walked the line between grungy, modern indie rock and expansive psych, but here, those elements coalesce with newfound clarity. The album opens with “Malcolm’s Cooking,” an instrumental prelude that sets a reflective, ambient tone before launching into “Last Goodbye,” a groovy track that manages to feel both vintage and modern at once.

The third song, “Maybe You Have To,” stands out as a darker, more synth-driven moment. Its heavier emotional tone is amplified by snippets of a voicemail from Toledo’s late grandmother, adding a deeply personal layer of melancholy. And yet, the track also leans into tongue-in-cheek asides that keep it from sinking too far into sadness, balancing grief with levity in a way that feels strikingly human.

Those opening tracks set the tone for the rest of the album: it’s not afraid to take a dark turn or divest in heavier themes, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It can take a literal pause (offering “Main Menu,” another instrumental interlude), reflect on love and loss, and celebrate the friendship that ultimately remains at the album’s core. Single “What’s A Good Life” is not only the album’s crown jewel, but a liberating celebration of individuality and embracing life’s journey in a tone that feels almost reminiscent of a band like The Eagles. “Pie in the Sky” is an upbeat ELO-styled vibe that is equal parts dreamy and kinetic, like the soundtrack to a sepia-toned summer montage. And “Dorien Kregg” embraces the band’s more psychedelic tendencies, offering up abstract lyrics and sonic twists that feel like a trip in all the best ways.

While there isn’t a weak link in the tracklist, IRON clocks in at just 37 minutes, which may leave the listener wanting a little more. But in a way, that’s a testament to Post Animal’s growth. This is a band that knows exactly what it wants to say and says it with precision.

It doesn’t feel quite right to call this album a comeback, as Post Animal never really went anywhere. But there is something about IRON that feels like a triumphant return, and not just because all six members are back in the fold. Maybe it was the low-pressure stakes under which the album was created, or the fact that its catalyst was merely a desire for a group of friends to make music again. Or perhaps it’s the timing, arriving on the heels of Djo’s The Crux, with Post Animal touring as Keery’s supporting act and Reyes and Toledo playing in his live band, further cementing the group’s deep creative connection.

Whatever the case may be, the end result of IRON is an album that oozes authenticity and elevates an already strong band into an even stronger territory, opening the page on a fresh new chapter for Post Animal.