I’ve been enjoying I/O’s sophomore album, Anyone, Anywhere, and let it play all afternoon through my earphones as I got work done at the office. The music went really well with the gloomy weather outside.. Haha!
The band’s been around since 2012 (Boston) and released their debut album back in 2014, with a follow-up sophomore album on July 7th, just a few weeks ago.
So, not everyone may enjoy this type of music. For those that are unfamiliar with Indie post rock/instrumentals, this type of genre and music may feel a bit dull to you.
What is post rock?
It’s a type of genre where it’s mainly instrumentals without vocals, (but some bands may have singing here and there, like The Album Leaf). The electric guitar usually plays a big role in playing a lot of lead melodic lines, reverbs and delays. Though there usually isn’t singing, the mood of the song takes you on an emotional journey from the start of the song, and eventually leads into epic, climatic builds. I honestly think LIVE shows of these kinds of bands are the best, it does something wonderful to you as you watch in awe, the musicians’ performance, perfect and in sync with each other, along with the feels of the vibrations from speakers, all around you. Pure, melodic noise.
I/O’s music brings me back to my college years, where I used to attend many shows hosted on and off campus; part of my grade was to attend ‘X’ amount of music shows every semester, so it was something I always looked forward to. And well, with or without credit, I enjoyed going to shows. My friends and I would sometimes drive an hour out to St. Louis to catch bands like Mute Math, Eisley and more. We’d usually eat at Steak n’ Shake or that one Thai restaurant at the Loop. Memories. <insert nostalgic sigh>
These guys remind me of bands like Saxon Shore (an awesome band that came through our school), Explosions in the Sky, and The Album Leaf.
There is actually very little information on I/O, so there is not much to share about their background. Let’s take some guesses at their name, hm. Could it mean.. In and Out? Ohh, I think I see a power on/off switch. On/Off? Hehe. Anyways, like most instrumental/post rock bands, the title tracks on I/O’s album are quite obscure, leaving you to only ponder on the hidden meanings and to hopefully discover possibly through following the melodic lines of the guitar.
Some subtle instruments to look out for in this album are the French horn, cello, viola, violin, trombone, and trumpet. The question is..Can you listen through the whole album to catch it? (:
Hope their music will suit your ears like it does for mine~
Have a listen here: Bandcamp
Insta: Here
My music canvas 