Dear listener and reader of Soundville, I want to share with you a very interesting release, “I Should Have Known the Things You Never Said,” by the band Icarus Phoenix. These guys deliver awesome shoegaze rock, with commercial vocals, excellent sound, and full dedication from the musicians. The band Icarus Phoenix is based in Baltimore, MD. The lineup includes Drew Danburry on guitar and vocals, Eli Sims on drums, Leena Rhodes on guitar, vocals, and synth, and Brendan Russell on bass. With extensive experience in creating and performing music, Icarus Phoenix has now released a new album “I Should Have Known the Things You Never Said.”
I must admit, this album truly deserves very careful listening. Icarus Phoenix had previously released singles and albums (albeit with different lineups), and has already gained a loyal fan base. However, with the new album “I Should Have Known the Things You Never Said,” they seem to reach out to every listener, offering to share the bitter experience and help emerge from devastating circumstances. Conceptually, this is a rich album, penned by Drew Danburry between 2021 and 2022, and based on his traumatic experience of a relationship breakup.
In “I Should Have Known the Things You Never Said,” we come face-to-face with the pain and destruction of relationships where one partner excludes the other from their world and cuts off contact with their common child. Drew Danburry guides the listener through the disintegration of self and the search for a new identity after traumatic experiences.
Each track on the album acts as a separate chapter, encompassing different sounds that reflect the breakup of relationships and the subsequent renewal of the struggle for self-identification. “I Should Have Known the Things You Never Said” explores who we become when reality collapses under the weight of relationship breakdowns and displacement from a familiar and native world.
Drew Danburry raises intriguing philosophical questions about the destruction of the remaining world and the distortion of new reality due to the shadowing of past experiences. In this sense, Drew Danburry touches on philosophical themes of destroying the original worldview and constructing a new one, but with distorted features, where the past inevitably clouds the perception of the present.
The chosen style and genre in this album send shivers down my spine. I adore rock music, and it is often rock music that profoundly affects me (sometimes frighteningly, God) deep inside. And the album “I Should Have Known the Things You Never Said” did just that with me too.
I’m sure you too feel that deep connection from the very first track “The Things You Never Told Me.” The powerful guitars, heavy, almost grunge sound, impeccable vocals, and brightest emotions burst forth in this track. A slow intro with a cool drum line and free-flowing vocals create a deceptive cushion of hope, tempting one to pause and rest. But it’s an illusion shattered by the next track, “Live. Give. Lose. Grow.” This duality reflects the album’s concept. First all is well, and then you plunge from a cliff into the abyss? Oh yes, Icarus Phoenix captures this brilliantly. In “Live. Give. Lose. Grow.”, you won’t find those soothing, sometimes summery guitar riffs. Only subtle hints of a happy future sound in the full vocal line, while a rocking melody embraces you in melancholy. If you like slow, tragic tracks to cry into your pillow to, then “Live. Give. Lose. Grow.” is for you.
I like how in the tracks “In The Blood” and “Doctor! Doctor!” the melancholic atmosphere unfolds in a tender vocal haze, and the cool arrangement with heavy guitars and drums complements the atmosphere with its impeccable sound. Like experiencing a loss, the sound on the album continually falls into clouds of stinging pain. So when I heard “Hatillo 2” with its incredibly personal and touching lyrics, it took my breath away. It felt as if Icarus Phoenix had been heating up the atmosphere in all the previous tracks, and only now reached its peak. And you know, the keys brought to the forefront caught me off guard. It was as though I found myself alone, in some vast, march-like space, where there’s no light or hope. Very, very cinematic, especially… the playful interludes of children’s voices at the end?
Icarus Phoenix, you break my heart! I think that listening to this track in a less formal setting, I will indeed cry. Oh.
The track “When it’s time to go (I don’t know if it is)” sounds utterly different, filled with hope. It’s impossible not to sway to the beat and admire the cool guitar riffs. This sun-drenched yet melancholic track made me feel better. The deeply symbolic lyrics reflect the difficulties encountered in the process of self-discovery and overcoming.
It’s impossible to avoid a feeling of connection to Drew Danburry’s experiences, making the album “I Should Have Known the Things You Never Said” universally significant for people undergoing periods of breaks and changes in their lives.
The album concludes with my favorite track, “Kanashimi,” whose intro’s gentle shimmering reminds me of a lullaby, evoking an image of wind chimes slowly swaying and ringing from the breeze through an open window. And the night, friends, is deep. The soft and profound keys give me goosebumps, while the tender, misty guitars create a sense of release. I was completely overwhelmed by the slow, foggy vocals. “Kanashimi” lasts almost 8:54 minutes, hypnotizing, allowing full immersion in its sound. A flawless finale, filled with both a sense of hope and a sense of destruction. This duality doesn’t end with the album. It persists, painting a new picture of a world where there is space for a new future.
This album explores themes of sadness and the strengt needed to overcome it, and the possibility of emerging from the struggle renewed, perhaps not the same as before, but more whole and aware. Thus, the album represents a rethinking and recreation of a new version of oneself through the painful processes of destruction. I absolutely love it!
Hey Icarus Phoenix! Oh, thank you for releasing such a flawless album. You know, it truly took me some time to get to know your music closely, and I am so impressed! I am overwhelmed with feelings of hope and sadness. It seems to me that your album can truly inspire others with the confidence that all troubles are surmountable and there is always hope for a better future. I felt it! And… it’s a very bold move, Drew Danburry, to share something so personal with the world. I appreciate that. Please, continue to produce more such quality and awesome music. I will tell everyone about your album and keep listening. I hope to hear your music live someday!
Tour w/ See Night:
Sep 19th – Cleveland, OH – No Class
Sep 20th – Pittsburgh, PA – The Government Center
Sep 21st – Baltimore, MD – The Watermelon Room
Sep 22nd – Brooklyn, NY – Sleepwalk
Sep 23rd – Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar
Sep 25th – Boston, MA – Lizard Lounge
Sep 26th – Providence, RI – AS220
Sep 27th – Philadelphia, PA – Mainframe
Sep 28th – Asbury Park, NJ – Wild Air Beerworks
Sep 29th – Flemington, NJ – Flemington DIY
YouTube @drewdanburry
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