The Icarus Line - Wildlife

Depending on what you read about The Icarus Line, you’d be forgiven for thinking that they are a rock ‘n roll revolution just waiting to happen. Terms like ‘noisy’ and ‘brutal’ yield only false impressions of the band - in the cold light of day, what you get with the band’s latest album ‘Wildlife’ is an eclectic, often leftfield and sporadically listenable piece of work that never reaches the same levels of success as previous work, most notably their debut ‘Penance Soiree’.

Whilst there are touches of light and shade littered throughout the album’s thirteen tracks, finding a succession of decent melodies amidst the sea of mid-tempo fillers proves quite a task. It isn’t until the eighth track, ‘Sin Man Sick Blues’ that the pace picks up and the life that was so apparent in their debut comes back to take centre stage. Although belated, their pompous T-Rex stomp proves a welcome departure from the thumping monotony of ‘Bad Blood’ and limp album opener ‘King Baby.’

Lead singer Joe Cardamone described ‘Wildlife’ as “…a collection of blood, sweat and fears crafted in a shady suburb of the city of angels.” Yet the album is tarnished by an unfinished feel, with many of the tracks lacking in the production department and the same sense of urgency that made ‘On The Lash’ and countless others from ‘Penance Soiree’ such an immediate listen. As a result, it’s hard not to describe ‘Wildlife’ as a disappointment.