For the past decade, Denmark’s Iceage has held a firm spot in the independent music public consciousness. From their raucous early punk days, performing in overpacked dwellings, to their most recent adventurous attempts to subvert any expectations the press tried to place on them. They’ve done things their own way, continuously evolving with each new release and taking bold steps to reinvent themselves.
On their new record Seek Shelter, Iceage rekindled the magic that made their debut so enthralling, but instead of returning to an old sound the band has emerged with an air of optimistic growth.
Singer Elias Ronnenfelt’s lyrics offer listeners a hand to pull them out of the apocalyptic state of affairs that they’ve found themselves in over the past year. From the moment the album opener, “Shelter Song” rings out, there is a sense of grandness that Iceage has been trying to achieve since their 2014 album Plowing Into The Fields of Love. It’s the perfect opening track. You can imagine a stadium full of revelers chanting, “they kick you when you’re up, they knock you when you’re down,” as tears begin to stream down their faces.
The instrumentals are triumphant, propelled by heart-pounding drums, shimmering guitar chords and a soaring choir — a first for the band.
Recorded in 2019, Iceage retreated to the seaside Portugese capital of Lisbon to lay the foundation for Seek Shelter.
The band welcomed new guitarist Casper Morilla Fernandez to the fold and recruited childhood hero, Sonic Boom aka Pete Kember of Spacemen 3, to come on board as producer. Throughout the record, Kember’s pop driven acumen is apparent as Iceage wipes away any sense of their noise rock past.
“Vendetta” is the closest heir to the hard-nosed edge that has been seen on previous albums but instead of shearing guitars, there’s Britpop swagger. Ronnenfelt’s fascination with crime is brought to life with images of bodies being dispensed in the ocean and handguns tucked beneath belt bands.
The record’s tracklist works as a helix, each song coded with different textures while remaining cohesive to the original strand. The harmonica lead of “Gold City” matched with Ronnenfelt’s champion call feels like an Oasis spin on a Nick Cave track.
“Drink Rain” ruminates on a big band era: Fred Estaire meets Serge Gainesbourg. There’s even a sleek piano line as Ronnenfelt’s delivery and the band’s instrumentals dance around each other. It’s the strangest track on the record; however, it shows the band’s willingness to step out of their comfort zone and allow these new influences to swallow them whole.
The sun-drenched radiance of “Dear Saint Cecilia” paints an image of weary soldiers returning home from a battle with a likeness to Rolling Stones classic, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
Album standout and finale, “The Holding Hand” is by far the best song on the album and possibly in Iceage’s discography.
Ronnenfelt’s vocals are manipulated to create a dreamlike effect that feels strange. The track’s instrumentals get added in layers after a stanza from Ronnenfelt concludes breathing new life into each moment, an example would be a solemn violin that marks the midpoint. “In an alabaster hue, slouched across the spangled acres, rich outlandish revenue, see it come and see it go,” sings Ronnenfelt, comparing financial upheaval to a color used to provide solace. The track then cascades into a noisey apparition of cinematic proportions as Ronnenfelt beckons, “Oh limp wristed god, limp wristed god, don’t you know I’m not at fault in your weakened arms.”
Seek Shelter is a testament to Iceage’s maturation both lyrically and sonically, while they embrace all aspects of their personalities for their most brilliant record to date.
Essential Tracks: “The Holding Hand,” “Shelter Song” and “Gold City”
Prerequisites: Oasis’ Definitely Maybe and Nick Cave & The Bad Seed’s Abattoir Blues