Icarus Phoenix - High Tide (self-released)

It is fair to say that Icarus Phoenix’s previous EP Son got them heard in all the right places, with many reputable and established publications shining a light on it. Mind you, a wide-ranging, DIY tour of Japan and the US didn’t hurt their profile either. And now, as they prepare for their fourth album, this new single, “High Tide”, makes for a great bridge between what has been and what is about to happen.

Like all great songs, the lyrics are as important as the music that carries them, and here Drew Danburry reflects on the breakdown of his marriage, his relocation and restart, and what his place in that relationship, society and the world, in general, were perhaps based on in the first place. It is honest stuff, about as honest as you can get, and it sees him wondering if his prime function may have been merely as a financial provider. Not only is it honest stuff, it is relatable. It might come from the most personal of experiences, but it is a theme that we can all relate to, and increasingly so in a world where debt and day-to-day financial survival are utmost in far too many people’s minds.

But musically, it is excellent, too. It is a song built on gentle tones and subtle textures rather than anything more dramatic. Supple riffs drift through; percussion shimmers as sonic punctuation, basslines drive, and guitars are as happy to add neat motifs as they are to pull out the full chord swathes. But when the song hits the middle eight, Icarus Phoenix shows themselves more than capable of making their presence felt.

A cool song, a clever song, an honest song, a relatable song. What more could you ask for?

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