There’s a certain energy that exudes when creative partnership is built on years of friendship and collective trust. Moving through the transformations of young adulthood— and a generally unconventional one—alongside your collaborators is bound to be reflected in the music, even in understated ways. That energy is awake and palpable on Iron, the fifth studio album from Post Animal. The ten-track record stamps the reunion of all six original members: Dalton Allison, Jake Hirshland, Javier Reyes, Wesley Toledo, Matt Williams, and Joe Keery of Djo; a reconnection that seemingly guided the project to fruition. 

That reunion is celebrated on the opening track of the record, “Malcolm’s Cooking,” a simple and homely fingerpicking guitar instrumental that concludes with audible cheers, laughter, and clinking of glasses. There’s no guarantee that the original creative sparks of a group can be replicated, but Post Animal shrugs and dives in head first, re-emerging with something to show for it.

The second track and lead single, “Last Goodbye,” showcases the band’s strength in collaborative songwriting, and the ability to craft a chorus that sounds thoroughly classic. The verses are dark, wandering, and delivered with a sort of apathy that contrasts the lyrical content. On this track we see the band utilize different vocals to emphasize the play between internal monologue and what’s being said in a more front-facing manner. “I try to love every corner of your mind,” one voice sings; “But we’ve been going off the deep end,” another altered voice follows without pause. There’s an acceptance of finality bleeding from the track, as if the love that’s to be lost has long ago fallen from a loose grasp.

Despite some muted metaphor and a slight drop-off in melodic satisfaction, this record is decorated with that sweet and nostalgic indie rock glitter, exhibited sonically on tracks like “Maybe You Have To” and “Setting Sun.” The record re-animates itself with “Pie in the Sky,” a lively track with a Wham!-esque punch packed with all of that earnest and direct adoration of 80’s sunshine pop-rock. Keery leads the pointed and elastic vocal on this one, calling to mind his more up-beat performances on Djo’s The Crux.

Post Animal’s songwriting is the sharpest when they lean into vulnerability and introspection, like on the bursting, self-realized chorus of “What’s a Good Life,” where Keery belts “For the first time in my life / It’s fine that I’m not perfect / Nobody’s fool / Nobody’s cool/ It’s who you are.” The track perfectly encapsulates the overjoy that wraps around the arrival to radical self-acceptance, and a more complete understanding of others. Sonically, the track lifts the album skywards while remaining subtly melancholy in its own right.

Throughout the record, the band members take turns holding the reins for lead vocal—sometimes at the expense of sonic cohesion, like on “Dorien Kregg,” an animated, theatrical story-telling track that, albeit engaging, sits relatively out of place— but sometimes reading as fleshed out intention to alter the delivery, and in turn perception of each track. Post Animal is composed of great musicians. Tasteful and polished instrumentation choices complete songs like “Common Denominator,” where warm guiding drums and sparse guitars lay a backdrop for the songwriters to ponder what makes life feel good, and not so good.

In spite of its distinguished highlights, Iron still leaves us wondering what exactly a Post Animal song sounds like; a question no better to be discovered and answered than by a band at their very tightest.

Order Iron by Post Animal HERE