Wildlife

About

The Icarus Line took more than three years to drop its fourth studio album. This time, the band injected a thicker dose of bygone East Coast–inspired glam into the mix—and noticeably evolved its own sound. The departure of guitarist Aaron North gave frontman Joe Cardamone plenty of room to stretch out and get a little more soulful. (He also engineered and produced the album.) “King Baby” opens, oozing smeared-makeup cool reminiscent of The New York Dolls with snarling guitars and platform-boot-stomping rhythms. The delightfully creepy “We Sick” really captures that sweltering, greasy, New York summer-party feel, with a simmering beat that slowly pulses with the bass. Over these seductive rhythms, a serpentine six-string lead clashes with angular guitar noise. The following “Soul Slave” slithers with Iggy Pop style; that trashy guitar crunch even sounds like Cardamone channeled Ron Asheton’s signature sound from the great beyond. “All Little Things” rocks with an <i>Exile on Main St.</i> swagger, while “Tina Turner” grooves on soul-rock power.

via Apple Music

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