 Around 2006 Ian's records took a turn into the noise rock, power pop realm, as he released To Be Loved and El Sonido, now being compared to Matthew Sweet and Big Star.Pop Matters put it succinctly as they summed up his career to date, saying " Sure, he’s got his peers, but he’s ballsier than Josh Rouse, bluesier than Josh Ritter, grittier than Matthew Sweet, brainier than Ryan Adams, and more muscular than Grant-Lee Phillips.Moore’s transformation from trade bluesman to restless pop chameleon may be most closely echoed by Chris Whitley" which is short form of saying that Moore is not easily tagged by genre and comparison, and in his diversity and understanding of form, he is unique in his time.