Cassette Review // Icarus Phoenix "No tree can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell" (Telos Tapes)

$10 // Edition of 50 // https://telostapes.bandcamp.com/album/no-tree-can-grow-to-heaven-unless-its-roots-reach-down-to-hell

When this second cassette by Icarus Phoenix begins, there is a sense of psych-acoustic rock before it fully kicks in and just begins rocking.   Throughout these songs several influences can be heard such as Ted Leo, Daniel Johnston, Nathan Leigh & The Crisis Actors and The Get Up Kids, but Icarus Phoenix has also just done a wonderful job at finding their own voice- through sound and lyrics- and showcasing that here.

If you can get into the style of rock music which I've compared this with then you should be good to listen and enjoy this cassette from start to finish.  It has that way about it where it isn't overly strong in any genre- where it's not like gangsta rap or metal- so it should have a sense of appeal to most music listeners.   However, this cassette also has strong lyrics which after an initial listen should be examined and perhaps certain lines can be taken to heart by you personally.

I really enjoy the song "Rivers" for all of its lyrics and specifically the line: "Who we are and what we have is enough".   We seem to exist in a world where we always want more and never seem satisfied so it's nice to have this sort of mantra which can help us to not feel that way so much.  This also really applies directly, within the context of the song, to the idea that sometimes you don't have to win over the entire world with your art but if you help one person- even if that person is you- then it's worth it.

As another example, "All the Same" has this great overall sense of lyrics but I pull out the one line of "We won't always be this young" and really think about it.  There are things that I want to do and I think back to when I was younger and staying out all night wouldn't bother me but now I'm more hesitant to do it.   At the same time, I know that ten or twenty years from now I'm going to likely have even less energy to go out and do things so I need to do them now while I'm still somewhat young.  And I enjoy that Icarus Phoenix has that overall idea of embracing life.