As early as
the Icicle Works' second album, it became obvious that singer/songwriter
Ian McNabb had little interest in further pursuing his career as a new wave tunesmith in the manner of his only U.K. hit, "Love Is a Wonderful Colour." Still, stylistic nods to
Neil Young,
Van Morrison, and Motown on post-1984 recordings could have hardly prepared the causal
Icicle Works fan for the all-over-the-map musical journey that represented the original lineup's fourth and final album,
Blind. There's not even a hint of new wave on this record; beginning with a full-on
Led Zeppelin-style rave up ("Shit Creek"),
Blind then proceeds to careen wildly through several anthemic
Waterboys-inspired folk-rockers ("Here Comes Trouble," "Starry Blue Eyed Wonder"), a Caribbean-style pop tune ("What Do You Want Me to Do"), a
Prince-meets-
INXS lite-funk workout ("The Kiss Off"), a raunchy blues-metal parody that even Zodiac Mindwarp might have found too over the top ("Two Two Three"), and even a short doo wop-flavored number ("One True Love"), among other stylistic detours. While the attempt to branch out is laudable, it must be noted that not everything here works, and as a consequence, the album doesn't really hang together. But
Blind does contain some of
the Icicle Works' best individual tracks, including the singles "High Time" and "Little Girl Lost," and is, if nothing else, seldom dull. As a bonus, fans of drummer Chris Sharrock will find
Blind to be the best showcase for his considerable talents since
the Icicle Works' first album; it's hard to think of another drummer who could mimic all the musical styles represented on this album with both the sensitivity and creativity shown here. This album, then, is not the place for the neophyte
Icicle Works or
Ian McNabb fan to start, but for committed fans who want to hear the extent of the original
Icicle Works' range -- warts and all --
Blind is definitely worth a look-see. ~ Rudyard Kennedy