Danish teenage hardcore outfit Iceage crafts jarring, shape-shifting rhythms that balance a nervy, D.C. post-punk swerve against the tunefully overdriven crunch of Japandroids and No Age. The group's 2011 debut, New Brigade, was good enough to catch Matador's eye, and this follow-up represents a step forward in every way. The minimalist clang has broadened its scope to embrace an HD rumble, the songs are sung, not simply delivered, while the arrangements twist, sputter, and hang on the edge, leaving a trail of mesmerizing chaos in their wake. Most of the dozen tracks here have their own character: Standouts include the mid-album duo "Burning Hand," with its fiery, churning, reaper-like advance, and the wiry "In Haze," which sounds like the Meat Puppets being chased by Dinosaur Jr. (4 out of 5 stars)
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