Track Review: Cold Shade Street // Cult Icon
Hailing from the town of Birkenhead – one living in the shadows of the well-known city Liverpool, Cult Icon is a group of five lads with a large sound. Formed in 2019, the group placed their mark on the local music scene with sold-out gigs building a reputation for a “must-see” live band. While the Coivd-19 pandemic put live music out of action, Cult Icon has been working on original material over the past months. The debut release from the group is ‘Cold Street Shade’.
“The single covers being lost and alone in a city with nowhere to go and nothing to do. However, the track can be interpreted any way the listener wishes.” – Cult Icon on ‘Cold Street Shade’
Recorded at Material Studios in Liverpool, ‘Cold Street Shade’ showcases the group’s innovative fusing elements of blues and alternative rock. Using a personal narrative storytelling form, Cult Icon effortlessly builds a soundscape with ‘Cold Street Shade’. The pounding drums and powerful guitars make for a hard-hitting melody – particularly the guitar solo around the middle.
While the instrumentation is a force in its own right, it is the vocals that really showcases the diversity of Cult Icon. Raspy and robust, the tone and style of the vocals enhance a “bluesy with hard rock” sound. Despite Cult Icon being only a single year old, ‘Cold Street Shade’ epitomises the 21st Century blues-rock sound with maturity and sophistication. Think Muddy Waters meets Eric Clapton with some Guns ‘N’ Roses and you might have an idea of Cult Icon – but not really because they are so unique.