“Gerausche,” the six-minute opening track of “Iran Iraq Ikea,” sophomore release of Les Big Byrd, a foursome of grizzled Swedish band veterans, kicks off with a spacey groove that took me back to my Can fandom days, and the uncanny groovy-but-weird feel only grows with the dreamy lyrics and the piano figure clomped over the top. It’s a sensational beginning that is sustained through the driving, bleepy “I Tried so Hard” and the third track, “A Little More Numb,” more Slowdive than Krautrock. The rest of the nine-track album segues into more traditional synth-rock, but even this poppy fare slithers into your mind. Only the Swedish-language final track is naff. Check this one out – different and charmingly psychedelic.
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