Iceage – For Love of Grace & the Hereafter

There has always been a frenetic energy to Copenhagen quintet Iceage, a constant inability to stand still. From their early, anarchic, snotty-nosed punk days through to their last record, 2021’s Seek Shelter, which saw them approach grandiose, anthemic space-rock akin to Spiritualized.

Their latest effort, For Love of Grace & the Hereafter, marks their first instance of looking back and reflecting on their incredibly successful career. Recorded with their long-term producer and collaborator Nis Bysted, who took a backseat to Sonic Boom on their previous record, For Love Of is a culmination of the various evolutions Iceage’s sound has gone through over the years.

It most closely resembles their crossover record Plowing Into the Field of Love, but each song here collects all the tricks they have amassed over the years, such as the swaggering blues of The Weak or the pop-tinged optimism of excellent opener Ember.

True to form, however, every track here possesses a relentless, fizzing energy where just when you think you know what direction it's headed, it completely wrong-foots you with an unexpected turn, such as on the dissonant chorus to Tender Blades. Most impressively of all, Iceage pulls this all together in a surprisingly cohesive record, capped off by brilliantly woozy closer True Blue, showing they're not resting on their laurels just yet.

Listen to: Ember, The Weak, Tender Blades