Dissolver
by Iran
  • Record Label: Narnack
  • Release Date: Feb 17, 2009
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. AllMusic
    70
    A mix of veiled threats and bounding guitars, it proves that Dissolver isn't the sound of Iran turning its back on its past, it's the sound of a band finding ways to be more complicated, and accessible, than ever.
  2. Blender
    70
    The familiar-sounding song structures are an artfully crafted misdirection.
  3. PopMatters
    70
    On some level, Iran must have been aware of the edginess and mystique surrounding their early music enough to go out of their way to vanquish it, but in its place is something nearly as special.
  5. Slant Magazine
    70
    Dissolver is a solidly catchy, guitar-driven jaunt, finding equal time for fuzzy rock progressions and slowly sketched, shimmering landscapes.
  6. Spin
    70
    Frontman Aaron Aites counters the otherworldly ambience with straightforward strains of classic indie rock (think Sebadoh and Pavement). That combination can be jarring, but mostly in pleasant ways.
  7. Dusted Magazine
    70
    Dissolver sounds like an album made by folks who are mostly sick of challenging convention and just want to swim in something that reminds them of why they love rock music.
  8. Pitchfork
    62
    Once producing dense, complex music that rewards each additional listen, Dissolver's content as comfort food for rockists, too quickly sating the listener.
  9. The A.V. Club
    75
    No longer hiding melodies behind so many drapes of hiss and scramble, Aites has opened things up. The songs feel roomier, the tones brighter, the dynamics more jarring.
  10. Urb
    50
    Dissolver is a serviceable pop-rock record that would have benefited from being subject to more of the band’s experimental tendencies, a missed opportunity for the trio to release a cutting-edge yet accessible set of music.
  11. cokemachineglow
    67
    Well, here’s a disappointment so mild I can barely taste it. I think I’m disappointed, maybe, but I’m not sure how much or wherefore.
  12. Prefix Magazine
    85
    Dissolver is easily Iran’s most cohesive album-length statement, and it proves that there is more to the band than idle four-track trickery.
  13. Under The Radar
    80
    Dissolver is more than impressive; it's Aites' first true masterpiece. [Winter 2009, p.72]
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  14. Austin Chronicle
    67
    "The Moon Boys" reins in and polishes lo-fi eccentricities on the Dissolver into a more coherent and easily enjoyable collage of alternative rock, and for the most part, it works.

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User Score
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No user score yet- Awaiting 2 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. EricC
    Mar 20, 2009
    8
    So Iran is following the same path as many avant rockers like Liars, Oneida, and TV on the Radio. They step away from the dense and edgy So Iran is following the same path as many avant rockers like Liars, Oneida, and TV on the Radio. They step away from the dense and edgy songwriting, unusual song structures, and gritty production to make a pretty straight forward rock album. Unlike with those previous bands I mentioned, I'm new to Iran, so I'm not positioned to be dissapointed. Even if I was, I know how to recognize a solid rock album when I hear one. Very little filler, just one impressive song after another. I'm sure they'll return to their art house style soon enough, but for now, this is a pretty awesome album.… Full Review »
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