JOE CARDAMONE
"Quarentina" (Sonic Ritual;
2021)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Okay, here's a dose of honesty for you. Before "Quarentina" arrived on my desk, I had barely heard of the band The Icarus Line and band member Joe Cardamone was unknown to me. "Quarentina" was one of those CDs that came to me from a publicist I've worked with forever and who always sends me interesting stuff. Stuff that may not fit the "Rough Edge" mold sometimes, but interesting stuff nonetheless.
So, I popped "Quarentina" into the player and sat back to listen with no idea whatsoever to expect. Nineteen tracks and thirty-seven minutes later, I still wasn't sure what I had listened to. The nineteen tracks on this album brought to mind artists like Pink Floyd (a very, very stripped down Pink Floyd), David Bowie and any artist whose music has ever appeared in a David Lynch project (especially the last season of Twin Peaks). It was raw and almost painfully genuine.
So I went back and I checked out The Icarus Line and was surprised to find the band's sound a curious blend of post-hardcore and punk. Nothing like what I heard on "Quarentina." My curiosity increased.
It was the David Lynch thought that may me go back to my e-mail and re-read the message from my friends at XO Publicity. There, I discovered that "Quarentina" is, in fact, a collection of songs from the film of same title, as well as a series of weekly videos created during a particularly tough time in Cardamone's life. Now, the moody, stripped down, sometimes mesmerizing, sometimes nerve-scraping (That screeching horn in "The Tower" was akin to the scraping of nails on a chalkboard) music made more sense.
Would I recommend it to most readers of Rough Edge? Probably not. It's not hard rock, heavy metal or punk. In fact, I don't think there's a single genre of music it would fit into. But it is annoyingly interesting. You can't help but listen from beginning to end and let the visions and emotions the music brings forth flow over you. Some of it isn't pleasant, some of it's even a little scary but, again but it's definitely worth a listen.
For more information, check out https://www.facebook.com/joecardamonexholywar/.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2021 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
