Published on Nov 20, 1997
I normally don’t like to read bios that come with discs I’m sent
to reviews — that is, until after I’ve listened to the album. I
don’t like to take the chance of unconsciously biasing myself for
or against an album from what I read.
But when I got the press kit for Chicago band Icos, I had to
take a look — especially because their press photo was color, not
black and white. Sure enough, the bio sang the praises of this band
and how musically inclusive they were.
I hate it when someone tells me what I’m going to think of a
band. Worse yet, I hate it more when they are right. Icos’s debut
album,
Incurable Contact, is a tasty slab of funk-pop with a bit of
agnosticism thrown in for good measure.
Lead vocalist/guitarist Danny McGuinness is a deep thinker – you
can tell that from the lyrics for the eleven songs on this disc. He
also has the pipes powerful enough to deliver the goods in a
convincing manner. Lead guitarist Scott Bond controls his
instrument well; he knows the limits for a good guitar solo, and
follows them. Drummer Kyle Woodring and bassist Jon Adler (who’s
since been replaced by Gordon Patriarca) put together a solid
rhythm section that one-twos you into submission.
The opening track, “Standin’ In The Middle,” is a weird way for
Icos to open this album. It’s a decent enough job in the funk
department, and it is a form of music they occasionally dip into on
Incurable Contact, but for the most part this isn’t a funk
album, and the listener may be accidentally fooled into suspecting
more of this style throughout the bulk of the album.
The first single, “Cities,” is where McGuinness and crew show
off their true power and colors. McGuinness’s vocal on this one is
superb, as is the band’s performance. (Special attention should be
called to the production hand of Wayne Gilpin, who captured the
essence of this band. He should know them well — he is one of the
band’s managers as well.)
The true power of Icos lies on the track “Firewalker”; the
amalgam of solid performance, intense vocal and catchy chorus all
point to potential hit single material.If I were an advisor to the
band (and I’m not), I’d encourage them to release this one and
promote the bejeezus out of it, and if I were a program director of
a radio station (which I’m not), I’d put this in heavy
rotation.
Of course, McGuinness shows the signs of being a deep thinker in
his questioning of religious beliefs (“Jesus Christ, you’re just
another man / Buddha cries you’re just another man” from “Live On”,
“God hasn’t been around for years / He died laughing at the people
who live in fear” from “Go”). It’s a brave step, and I’m not one to
judge someone else on their beliefs (unless you really believe that
the pretty-boys from Milli Vanilli actually sang on that album…
but I digress), but this may be a little too heavy for the casual
listener. Even I kind of got tired of hearing him ramble on about
the subject. (For that matter, after ten intelligent songs, were
the obscenities on “Go” really necessary? I’m no prude, but it did
kind of spoil the moment for me. I also admit to a bit of hypocrisy
here – seeing how much I love Tool, who make no secrets about their
beliefs.)
If I had any complaints about
Incurable Contact, there would only be two. First, while I
can respect McGuinness’s wanting to make a point in some songs,
state your case, then move on to the next topic. (The whole
condemnation of religion falls under this category.) Second, at
around 37 minutes, this album is a tad too short. I would have
preferred a few more cuts to flesh it out — or at least maybe a
little instrumental development on a track or two for good
measure.
Will radio take a chance on Icos and give some deserved
attention to
Incurable Contact? Sadly, I think the answer is “no”. Too
bad — while Icos will no doubt gain a strong following in Chicago,
they deserve a chance to be noticed amongst the hit makers of
today. But I don’t think that Icos will be a hidden secret for long
– not with songwriting and performances this strong.
Incurable Contact is a very good first step. With a little
more seasoning, McGuinness and crew should earn a shot in the
spotlight in no time at all.