A heartfelt, genre-blurring triumph forged in friendship

With IRON, Post Animal has crafted a homecoming album—one born not just of shared history, but of growth, reflection and renewed creative fire. The Chicago-formed psychedelic and progressive rock band—Dalton Allison, Jake Hirshland, Javier Reyes, Wesley Toledo, Matt Williams and Joe Keery—have reunited after years apart, emerging with their most unified and emotionally layered record yet.

This is the first time since 2017 that the original six have joined forces in the studio. Keery, who departed the band to pursue acting and his solo music as Djo, rejoins the fold for a project that goes beyond music—it’s a reconnection. As members moved across the country and followed separate paths, the band’s energy had diffused. But in 2024, the spark reignited, and they regrouped in an Indiana cabin tucked deep in the woods. Free from distractions and surrounded by nature, IRON was born during several uninterrupted weeks of living and creating together.

The album begins with “Malcolm’s Cooking,” a textured instrumental that blends natural ambiance with loose, communal energy—setting the tone for the album’s organic spirit. The lead single, “Last Goodbye,” leans into a warm melancholy, pairing reflective lyrics with gauzy guitars and tight vocal interplay. Throughout the record, songwriting and lead vocals are passed around fluidly, revealing the depth of each member’s voice—both literally and artistically.

Among the album’s standout moments is “Maybe You Have To,” which opens with a voicemail from Toledo’s late grandmother and deals with grief in raw, poignant terms. It’s a deeply personal track, and emblematic of the vulnerability that runs throughout the album.

Elsewhere, Post Animal showcases their playful and stylistic range: “Common Denominator” is buoyant and infectious, “Setting Sun” carries a brooding intensity and “Dorien Kregg” indulges in quirky, character-driven psych-pop. Each song, while distinct, feeds into a greater whole, like six creative perspectives forming a single voice.

Entirely self-produced, with engineering by Allison and Charles Glanders and mixing by Adam Thein, IRON has a hand-crafted warmth. It captures the intimacy of friends making music in the same room, driven more by shared joy than commercial pressure.

Far from a nostalgic reunion, IRON feels like a reinvention. It’s a testament to what can happen when artists reconnect—not just with each other, but with the reasons they started making music in the first place.