Icarus Phoenix – High Tide (2024)
Icarus Phoenix – a rather cool name for a band, and for a person come to think of it. With its fantastic roll off the tongue, there is a deeper meaning. Think about it, Icarus flew too close to the sun plunging to a watery grave, and the phoenix is borne of his ashes – US-based Icarus Phoenix brings new life to all individuals who face the harshness of life looking for encouragement. This is my introduction to Icarus Phoenix and their single ‘High Tide’ encapsulates the significance of its mythological being perfectly.
After being featured on Stereogum’s Albums of Note and their DIY tour to the USA/Japan, Icarus Phoenix quickly gained a cult following across the globe. From their 2021 self-titled debut album to 2022’s Sometimes Our Shadow Gets In The Way and 2024’s EP Son (the one mentioned on Stereogum), Drew Danburry (vocals and guitar), Leena Rhodes (vocals, guitar and synth), Brendan Russell (bass) and Eli Sims (drums) create a distinctive blend of indie-rock, pop and folk.
Following the well-received tracks ‘Painting’ and ‘Agradecido’, Icarus Phoenix adopts an indie-folk tone in the new single ‘High Tide’. While a soothing combination of guitars and drums with hints of synths lingering beneath, dark melancholy and despair cling to the single. Oscillating between the light and dark sides of life, swells of powerful guitar rush in a forceful, almost screaming need for relief, while the subdued ebbs capture the dreariness of the situation. When speaking about ‘High Tide’, Drew Danburry explains:
“I got divorced a few years ago, was somewhat forced to pick up and start over in a new place across the country… I think the hardest thing about divorce was feeling like my only values were the ones placed on me by my ex and by society, in that, my only value is how much money I can make… I was burning out hard and feeling like my only value was “money, status or skill”… drowning in dehumanisation, this song was a battle for survival. Plodding slowly forward through the mental sludge that drowns us all.”
For me, the song itself is skin-chilling and heart-wrenching in its melodic and lyrical complexity; however, it is the final, abrupt, cold end that leaves a breath-taking “what now” sensation mingled with a hopeful “I can do this” quality.
Find out more about Icarus Phoenix on their Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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