981. Icarus Line - Penance Soirée (2004)

Track Listing

1. Up Against The Wall Motherfucker
2. Spit On It
3. On The Lash
4. Caviar
5. Spike Island
6. Kiss Like Lizards
7. Getting Bright At Night
8. Big Sleep
9. White Devil
10. Meatmaker
11. Virgin Velcro
12. Sea Sick
13. Party The Baby Off

Review

The rarest of things in 2004 is an interesting rock album, and this definitely gets there... only it really isn't interesting enough. Not much here is original but the album is perfectly listenable.

It fortunately avoids the tropes of Indie or Nu-something and goes for powerful noise with an underscoring melodic line, really all you need from a rock album. They make good use of feedback and other "accidental" noises but it has been done before and better.

So it is a good album all told, just not particularly exciting or original, and it gets slightly boring after a while. Also it is coming just before a trio or quartet of really good albums here so I am kind of looking forward to them. And this while good just doesn't give me the excitement I need right now. If I want to listen to this I'd rather put on some Suicide or Pere Ubu which are a whole different kettle of interesting and share some points with this.

Track Highlights

1. Spit On It
2. Seasick
3. White Devil
4. Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

In the summer of 2006, Buddyhead Records released a double-vinyl version of the album. The album features the original mix by Alan Moulder as well as a remix by Aaron North.

Up Against the Wall, Motherfuckers: