Instrumental Rock: Ian Cat - The Incidentals, Vol. 1 (2021)

67 / 100

A versatile and enjoyable soundtrack-style EP with surprising twists.

We’re back with Ian Cat, though unexpectedly skipping over his debut album East Coast New England Boy and heading straight to his third release, The Incidentals, Vol. 1, which dropped in February 2021. This 18-minute EP serves as the soundtrack for the Twitch program Modern Streamers League, hosted by Ian’s friend Michael Goldenberg.

Here, Ian shifts toward a laid-back, retro rock soundtrack vibe. But his choice to close the EP with a stoner rock cut, “Ifrit Rock,” truly left a strong impression on me. Tracks like “The Cincinnati Kid” and “Magic Johnson” feature drum programming, resulting in electronic-style beats that enhance the sense of an urban adventure game—rather than a fantasy card game like Magic: The Gathering, which is also played during Modern Streamers League.

Even so, Ian Cat manages to showcase his ability to explore a wide range of rock subgenres, not just sticking to one or two. This seems to have been present since his debut album, which reportedly leaned into shoegaze/prog rock—something I suspect may turn out to be his most intriguing work. I’ll save that exploration for another time.

Overall, The Incidentals, Vol. 1 works best as a companion for relaxation or as background music while playing urban adventure or arcade-style games—think Vice City, The Sims, or others in that spirit.

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