AWmusic

As the weather gets warmer and the end of school draws nearer, I find myself waiting wistfully for summer. Enter Iration, a group from Santa Barbara, California whose reggae sound screams sun, sand, and surf. The band’s sophomore album, Time Bomb, is a beach-ready stoner soundtrack sure to please any and all reggae fans.

Iration isn’t doing anything original, but they make their well enough that it doesn’t really matter. The songs are all enjoyable and relaxing, which is all you can really ask for. Each song has it’s own distinct tune, but as is the problem with all reggae, the tunes still tend to blend together. Despite the seeming redundancy, I never really got bored with the album.

Perhaps that is because this isn’t music that commands your entire attention. None of the songs made me stop everything that I was doing to listen, but I still found myself humming them later. Time Bomb is not a stand alone album; it is the soundtrack to your life. Whatever you happen to be doing, this album can happily roll along in the background, lodging itself into your head and your heart without you even noticing. Iration has thus created an unassuming gem; the music doesn’t try to be anything bigger than what it is. It is, plain and simple, good reggae. Sleep to it. Drive to it. Hell, work out to it. Whatever you’re doing, Time Bomb can play along to it. This charming CD isn’t anything outstanding, but it is charming and refreshing in its simplicity.

Learn more about the band from their myspace or website.

Iration – Time Bomb
Iration – Get Back To Me
Iration – Falling