The Icarus Line - Black Lives At The Golden Coast

Californian noiseniks The Icarus Line have come a long way from the red and black attack they once were. Ever present are the days of the savage neo-punk assault, though their approach here, at times, is also somewhat more considered, armed with plenty of riffing, muscular solos and menacing basslines. But Black Lives At The Golden Coast is no less bolshy or belligerent than before; it broils aggressively and lurches wildly from Stooges ethics to warped psychedelia and amid this turbulence there are odd moments which offer a chance to step back and catch a breath before the barrage begins again. There's an industrial hit from Amber Alert and toned down indie sounds on Victory Gardens. Carrying the same attitudes of antagonism and bravado as their first few records, everything is nevertheless done with a little more measure and maturity than before. For once, however, that maturity isn't synonymous with the loss of virility or vitriol. [Neil Ferguson]