With anthemic grandiosity, Iceage return with a new single, ‘All the Junk on the Outskirts’; and despite its provenance, it follows on logically from last album ‘Seek Shelter’.
‘All the Junk on the Outskirts’ demonstrates the band’s capacity to write great songs. Fuzzing guitars rattle against the jangling rhythms, retaining their pop credentials amongst the moodiness. Sucked dry and clean, you can hear all the elements of the band, slowly building but also not overcomplicating things. Elias’ vocals cut through the mix like a knife through butter. Despite the track having rattled around since ‘Beyondless’ the production sits familiarly alongside that of ‘Seek Shelter’ – it shows just how the band have narrowed their sound so precisely. It’s recognisably Iceage from the get-go. There’s size in all the right places, there’s a quality of richness in the instrumentation that fills all the frequencies and you’re not left with anything missing. Always rejecting traditional post-punk angularity, they allow the beauty and romance to seep through. There’s that atmosphere created, that atmosphere that’s uniquely Iceage. It’s a demonstration of rock ‘n’ roll with a classic spirit and a fresh face.
The lyrical work is mature and developed, it’s neither esoteric nor obvious. Elias’ voice is never strained, it actually feels remarkably comfortable. It maintains that stadium mood that Iceage have perfected so assuredly. Despite being a loose part from the ‘Beyondless’ recordings, it’s a fully formed article, with potency and force.
Photo by Søren Lynggaard
Issue Thirty-Seven is out now Ft. Porridge Radio, Crows, Folly Group, The Dinner Party, Automatic, Gently Tender, headboy and more. Buy in print here. Read the digital edition below.
