Lining Up Something New

Can you hear them? Parents across the country are listening to their kid’s music and saying, “I remember when this stuff was huge in the 70’s!” So spawned the reincarnation of the (for lack of a better description) “garage-rock” bands, spearheaded by the White Stripes and the Strokes, along with a slew of other ‘familiar-sounding’ bands; many of whom used to preside over the eclectic college music circuit. So it makes plenty of sense why Icarus Line is signed to a major label contract, what with the economically slumping music industry’s effort to ‘strike while the iron is hot.’ Although Penance Soiree certainly does have elements of 70’s psychedelic rock, the plethora of different styles showcased on the album might force critics to put the band into an entirely new genre; angry robot rock.Most bands just shouldn’t mix musical styles, pure and simple. The utter chaos and sometimes resulting amateur sound is enough to turn off the stereo and send kids running back to Linkin Park. Good thing Icarus Line aren’t most bands. The lively and infectious, electronic-meets-garage rock-meets-industrial experiment that is Penance Soiree, quickly meanders it’s way from confusion to kick ass. “Up Against The Wall” starts things off with a hazy, electronic intro, before a pounding, catchy bass grabs your throat and simple, yet pristine vocals shake you up a bit more. But the mishmash of sounds manages to have a steadying degree of musical noteworthiness and holds your attention throughout, despite such setbacks like “Meat Maker” where it seems the band is trying a bit too hard, yet overall this angry robot of a band begrudgingly kicks and powers their way to push rock just a bit further.