Cassette Review // Icarus Phoenix "Icarus Phoenix" (Telos Tapes)

$10 //
Edition of 150 //
https://telostapes.bandcamp.com/album/icarus-phoenix //
One of the greatest qualities of music is for it to be able to provide you with a sound which is familiar to one which you have heard before and yet at the same time cannot be placed to any other specific artist.  I feel this way about Icarus Phoenix, as these songs seem to a combination of several different influences spanning of a lifetime of listening to music but the end result is really not something which falls into any of the proper genres and becomes just a sound and experience all on its own.

There are strums throughout this cassette which make me think of the beach.  It just has that being outside in the sunshine way about it.   This, right away, also makes me think of the Lou Reed song "Perfect Day".    For a more general sense of the rock music being played it is some mix perhaps of The Get Up Kids, Ben Kweller and even lyrically I am reminded of Tom Petty.   It's got that emo-but-not-emo way about it.   I am also reminded quite a bit of The Rocket Summer, which is great.

Through sad strings I think about the "Juno" soundtrack.   The melodies can remind me of Forgive Durden.  Overall on different levels this reminds me of Typhoon as well.   The last album I really heard like this was "Offerings" by Typhoon because it was just so powerful and so much to digest.   I feel that here as well.   Though it might not be the complete comparison in terms of music and lyrics, but in terms of the way I feel listening to this cassette and after having listened to it, they both leave me so full.

Far too often I listen to music with lyrics and don't think about whether or not it's a good fit because, let's face it, you can put happy lyrics over angry hardcore and I think it could be great.  But the way that these songs, lines like "But I feel like a monster and I feel I can't change anyway", just come out with the accompanying music couldn't possibly be more perfect.    The music, the voice, the lyrics all come together as one and it does feel rather sad to me.   I'm not sure I am emotionally in a place right now where I should be listening to this cassette but I'm not sure I ever will be so sometimes it's just best to press play and dive in.