Icicle Works

Combining intelligent, post-punk rock with lyrical astuteness, Seven Singles Deep takes seven of the Icicle Works' best tracks and teams them up with another seven songs that are lesser-known but are just as strong. With "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)" representing their most famous single, which is mixed differently but not terribly, the other tracks that comprise this makeshift best-of similarly expose Robert Ian McNabb's intelligent writing and U2-like songcraft. Although the first seven tracks are alternate versions of the originals, the only real difference is that they're longer renditions. "Hollow Horse" and "Love Is a Wonderful Colour" represent the Icicle Works' brisk but melodious grit, while "When It All Comes Down" and "Horses" instantaneously separate them from other U.K. bands of the time by way of genuine intensity and straight-ahead spunk. The other seven songs vividly illustrate McNabb's effective use of writing, focusing on his outlook of love and politics without plunging into conceptual confusion. Appealingly smart and even abstract at times, Seven Singles Deep presents a panoramic view of this somewhat quieted English band. "Nirvana," the band's first single, somehow fails to surface on this collection. ~ Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide