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Apr 27, 2015In lesser hands, it would simply be an unfocused scrappy mess, but Braids have taken all this and managed to create one of the finest records of the year so far.
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Apr 28, 2015This is the album that finally cements Braids’ role within Montreal’s accomplished indie artists and Raphaelle Standell-Preston as one of the most uniquely artistic forces in music today.
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Apr 27, 2015Deep in the Iris is more concentrated than anything Braids have released to date. If its runtime is more approachable, the songs themselves are also more intense.
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Apr 23, 2015Deep in the Iris feels like Braids’ turn toward the accessible, but it doesn’t jettison the genre tricks they used to indulge.
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Q MagazineApr 29, 2015Complex listening that never gets too wrapped up in its own ideas, Braids here discover a perfect balance. [Jun 2015, p.102]
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Apr 28, 2015Deep in the Iris doesn’t completely dissolve Braids’ diverging impulses into one another, but it knows when to nurture one and temper the other, embracing fair compromise without unfair sacrifice.
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Apr 28, 2015Deep in the Iris honors emotional states that aren't easy to express--musically or otherwise--and brings a clarity to them that make it some of the band's most empathetic music.
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Apr 24, 2015The result is Deep in the Iris, a musical mash-up of acoustic and electronic influences that's both achingly vulnerable and tentatively joyful.
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Apr 30, 2015As assured as they are here, one still gets the nagging suspicion that Braids are yet to genuinely find their true sound. And, in a sense, this is what makes them such a fascinating proposition to continue to listen to.
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Apr 30, 2015The glitchy, warped surface is offset by the clarity and versatility of Standell-Preston’s narrative vocals, which pull everything into focus.
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UncutApr 29, 2015The pill is somewhat sweetened by Braids' glossy new sound, a feelgood revamp that pairs swooning electronics with upfront drum'n'bass and will do some damage at large outdoor events. [Jun 2015, p.72]
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Apr 28, 2015There's an inviting new clarity to what Braids are doing: piano chords ground the synth and guitar whirls; the hooks sink in.
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Apr 27, 2015Deep In The Iris is full-bodied and assertive, while their lyrics address both the personal and the cultural.
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Apr 23, 2015Deep In The Iris feels like something of a sidestep for the band, a digression that toys with candour while still being dominated by a carefully calculated instrumental palette. Overall, their song structures are more concise than they’ve ever been, and they demonstrate an increasing willingness to draw from popular paradigms.
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May 7, 2015Although the music doesn’t always conjure it, there’s power in the album’s consciousness.
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Apr 27, 2015The only thing holding the album, and the band, back from being outstanding is the lack of obtuse moments; as at points the piano/electronic drums/synth combo can wear a little thin.
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Apr 24, 2015By trying to be the band everyone wants them to be, Braids have sacrificed the qualities that made them so captivating. And that is one hell of a shame.
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Apr 23, 2015Sputtering, glitchy electronics and polyrhythmic drum patterns by Taylor Smith and Austin Tufts provide layers of ambience that seem a bit too soft and tepid in the face of her melancholy but intense musings, though they complement her high, airy, melodic vocals.