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 Caught in the Carousel - Music Reviews and More
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The Icicles
Arrivals And Departures
The Icicles dish out a delectable confection of ear candy with their sophomore release, Arrivals and Departures. Fans of Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis or Sixpence None the Richer's Leigh Nash should find themselves endeared by Gretchen DeVault's coy, squirrelly, cooing voice, while Joleen Rumsey's harmonizing counterparts make the tracks sound pleasantly retro in a Sixties girl-group way. Hailed as the All Girl Summer Fun Band of Grand Rapids, Michigan, The Icicles merit the comparison from the second track, “La Ti Da,” which is such a fun and infectious ditty that it makes you want to skip/hop/jump across the playground. They even sing as much on songs like the whimsical “Chasing Fireflies,” or the nostalgic “Gedge's Song,” which pleads, “Why do you keep me cooped up all day/When you know I just wanna go out and play?/I wanna run in the yard and chase the birds away/Won't you just let me out today?” Though lyrically The Icicles are not as boycrushcrazy as AGSFB, they do have their moments of batting their flirtatious eyelashes at the fellows, as in “Nights Like These” and “Fall Day.” Perhaps the best track on the record is “Snowbird,” the adorable lament of a Michigan winter and the longing for “carefree sunny days”; this cut features percussionist Greg Krupp chiming in on the oohs, ahhs and lalalas, giving the track a cozy balance. Musically, though this lo-fi indie band employs enough guitar to give the songs structure, the true hero and spotlight stealer is the keyboard. In this regard, one might even draw parallels to The Cardigans (minus the lounge-style kitsch) or Belle & Sebastian (minus the somber, folksy fullness). The opening track, “Crazy,” is also faintly reminiscent of ‘90s bubble-gum pop by The Darling Buds. Overall, the album is a toe-tapper, a head-bobber, a fingers-on-the-steering-wheel-strummer. Here's hoping they bring their chinny-chin-ups to a local club nearby. Seeing the quintet in their matching flower-print outfits would be enough to brighten even the gloomiest show-goer.
--Mark Cabasino
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