Ikons
s/t
Service
There's nothing quite like the feeling induced by an airy, nostalgic collection of music that appeals to all the senses rather than simply landing on the ears and, well, sounding like the average album does. Thankfully, "Ikons" is not your average album. Simply listening to this results in a variety of sweeping images being projected into the mind's eye. For example, opener "Slow light" conjures up images of gliding through clear blue skies, ultimate freedom and joy at the forefront of the imagination. And maybe this isn't even the correct interpretation -- if there is one. That's one of the appeals of this album; the ability to induce imaginative visuals and for each listener to have his own ideas of what the music represents. Vocals are used very sparingly here, and when they do appear they offer a distinct '80s new-wave aura that fits perfectly with the rest of the music. "Ikons" is one of those albums that offers a wide variety of styles from song to song while remaining completely coherent as a single entity. There's the chill-out ambience of "Domine", the anthemic "Bye", the pure rock of "The hawk" and everything in between. The oblique return to "Slow light" for closer "Untitled" works unbelievably well in winding the album down on a positive note. While "Ikons" is a wonderful album sonically, it must surely come into its own in the live environment, since an integral part of the band's lineup is visual artist Patrik Johansson, who plies his trade onstage by creating stunning visual concepts to complement the music. They've been lauded for their live shows in the past and one can only imagine how sublime the coupling of the two artforms would work in that setting.
- John Norby
