Glistening post-punk guitars and magnetic synth tones adorn the excellent “Ordinary,” a recently released single from Ice Island. The project is led by Steven Hawley, who was also the frontman and creative force behind noted, now-defunct electro-funk act Codebreaker. Ice Island caught our ears in 2020 with the track “The General” and again in 2022 with “Population,” and “Ordinary” marks a stellar return after a few years’ hiatus.
“‘Ordinary’ is my way of silencing the doubters — and the darkest doubts inside my own head,” Hawley says. “I want it to light that same fire in every listener. I guess I’m a sort of evangelist at heart.” The track gets underway with crisp guitar crawls and a vocal emergence, complemented by a moody synth and panting rhythmic pulse. Hawley’s vocals ascend with emotion as guitars re-emerge, compelling especially at the two-minute turn as dreamy synths and layered vocals meld wonderfully. “Ordinary” is another gripping success of a track from Ice Island.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
