Eric Krasno Helps 2ŁØT Lean Into the Human Side of Their Hybrid Sound on “Iris”
- The Real Ding
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
2ŁØT’s music has always carried a sense of fusion, but “fusion” can be a slippery word. Sometimes it implies a band trying to combine too many ideas at once. On “Iris,” the group sounds relaxed inside its own range, pulling from funk, soul, hip hop, jazz, electronic music, and live-band improvisation without making the listener keep score.
The new single, released ahead of the July 31 arrival of RE/SOLVE, features Eric Krasno on guitar, along with Ben Bohorquez and Evan Weiss of The Funky Knuckles on horns. Krasno’s presence will likely draw plenty of jam and funk listeners into the track, and for good reason. His playing is distinct, melodic, and loose in the right way. He adds personality without turning the song into a guest feature exercise.
“Iris” has a smooth surface, but the arrangement keeps shifting beneath it. The song opens with a warm rhythmic pocket, giving Rudy Love Jr.’s vocal room to settle into its message of growth and self-recognition. Then the track bends into a funkier switch-up, where Krasno’s guitar work becomes especially effective. His tone is expressive, but never flashy for its own sake.
The horns are another important part of the song’s lift. Bohorquez and Weiss do not simply decorate the track. Their parts help shape the melodic identity of “Iris,” giving the chorus a sense of brightness that lines up with the song’s emotional center. There is a lightness to the arrangement that keeps the song from becoming too earnest.
Lyrically, “Iris” is built around an affirmation: “Iris, you know how beautiful you are.” That could have tipped into sentimentality, but 2ŁØT keep the delivery grounded. Robert Trusko has described the line as a statement about self-discovery and learning to see your own value. The song works because it treats that kind of realization as quiet and personal, rather than dramatic.
The track’s origin story also feels telling. During a writing retreat in Palm Springs, Trusko and drummer Omar Jahwar II built the groove while the band was experimenting with rotating writing teams. A tempo shift inspired by J Dilla pushed the song into different territory, and Rudy Love Jr. returned quickly with a verse that helped define the piece. That kind of quick response can sometimes create the best material, when a band is listening to itself in real time.
As a preview of RE/SOLVE, “Iris” points toward an album interested in repair, selfhood, and forward motion. The album includes appearances from Jon Batiste, Robert Randolph, Elise Trouw, Cameron McCloud, Frank Moka, Mariel Jacoda, and others, but “Iris” makes the case that 2ŁØT’s identity remains at the center. The guest list is strong. The stronger sign is that the band still sounds like a band.
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