Though Irata are relatively unknown, this Carolina trio comes with some instant sludge cred—this record was produced by Phil Cope and is being released on Kylesa’s Retro Futurist Records. Oh, and they’ve also snagged the opening slot on Kylesa’s upcoming tour. I guess that comes with the territory, eh?
Thus, it should probably come as no surprise that Irata sounds an awful lot like Kylesa as well. They’ve really nailed that airy, light-to-heavy, post-sludge sound, and you’d almost swear that Cope provides vocals on this record—this singer’s a little gruffer, but they’ve got a similar upper-register wail.
One thing that’s definitely missing—being that they’re only a trio—is the added dynamic presence of a Laura Pleasants on guitar/vocals. Don’t get me wrong, these folks will get you warmed up for Kylesa if you come early, but they’re not going to make anyone forget about the main event.
retrofuturistrecords.com/product/irata-sweet-loris-cd
