Wrought: Ironsmile was an emo/post-hardcore band from Victoria/Sidney, BC, Canada. They existed from 1997 to 1999, played around western Canada/U.S., dropped a couple all-timer EPs, and then called it quits. Like many of their regional contemporaries (Engine Kid, Ache Hour Credo), they were obviously influenced equally by the sprawling soundscapes of Slint, the melodics of Cap'n Jazz, and the catchy emotionally charged rawness of Sunny Day Real Estate. Probably the three most basic building blocks for all emo, I know, but... bear with me.
Vancouver Island in the mid-90's experienced a weird influx of exceptional emo bands, with the aforementioned Ache Hour Credo at the forefront, along with Daddy's Hands, a concurrent/subsequent project with many of the same members. As good and known as those two are, though, this EP is probably the best thing to come out of the scene; Wrought: Ironsmile manage to, in just 3 tracks, capture the feeling of both warmth and desolation inherent to the northwest. Combining a really uncommon and profound sense of atmospherics with a nauseatingly good knack for melodics, this stands among bands like Old Hearts Club for how innovative, interesting, and yet oh-so easy to listen to it is.
From my research, members haven't done much that would be very interesting (musically speaking, at least) to most people who would read this, but they are wonderful and prolific artists in their own rite. This is one of my favorite emo EPs ever and, if you held me at gunpoint and forced me to make a list, I'd probably put Valentine's Day as one of my 3 favorite emo songs ever. I recommend this for repeat listening on a drive from Portland to BC around sunset on a spring day. Check it out.
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