26 BATS! - "Magnified Iris" | New Music

(Cover art by Kai Peterson)

Nailing down the sound of the genre-fluid jazz-punk quintet 26 BATS! is quite the task. It's a little bit of jazz, a little bit of R&B, a little bit of indie rock, and enough soul to make it interesting. However, that's just how bandleader Bailey Cogan wants it. The band released its sophomore record Onyx in December of 2018, and now the band is back with the single "Magnified Iris," one of the first releases of 2020.

"Magnified Iris" leaves the listener drifting as the band carefully dances around each other. Starting off subtly, the song grows as the imagery becomes more chaotic, leading to a melodic breakdown as Cogan asks, "When will I learn to harness divine intuitive dynamisms?" The last minute and a half of "Magnified Iris" finds the band vamping over the main melody, expertly playing off one another like we have come to expect with the band. 26 BATS! have definitely set the bar high as we start the decade.

Listen to "Magnified Iris" below.