Icon For Hire - "Scripted"

Icon For Hire - Scripted
2011, Tooth & Nail

1. Overture
2. Theater
3. Make a Move
4. Get Well
5. The Grey
6. Off With Her Head
7. Fight
8. Up In Flames
9. Iodine
10. Only a Memory
11. Pieces

Icon's debut, Scripted, lacks some of the pop, hip-hop, and electronic flavor of their self-titled album, but it's still a great debut. It manages to set itself apart from the Fireflights and the Letter Blacks of the world. The hooks are strong and the lyrics are insightful and clever (for example: "Crazy's I believe the medical term/ When we want to recover/ But we don't want to learn..." from "Iodine"). I will admit that it does sound slightly more generic than their self-titled but I think that's to be expected as the band is still refining their sound. However, their heart and attitude shine through - especially on tracks like "Make a Move" and "Off With Her Head." I would almost compare them to Christian metal legends, Bloodgood, in terms of having that special type of passion that just breaks out of the music. Having listened to both albums time and time again I can say that this is a band I will be keeping an eye on.

Useless Fact: Lead vocalist, Ariel, makes and sells her own clothes on Etsy.