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Icon Of ego bA dA bIng 7/10 Former Low anthem member delivers a prog-pop spectacular

While the initial recordings of this project for former Low Anthem multiinstrumentalist Jocie Adams didn’t stray too far from the quirky, winsome alt.folk of her former employer, Icon Of Ego marks a further leap into wilder, woolier territory. A new version of “Garden Gnomes” from the band’s 2014 debut “$GNMS” demonstrates just how far Adams has come, the song’s bigger beats and thicker textures suggesting that she’s found a florid and fervent prog-pop sweet spot between Kate Bush and Animal Collective. On such showstoppers as “Chattermachines” and the title track, Adams also finds a winning match between the swoops of her soprano and the swirls of strings and vintage synth sounds provided by bandmate Zach Tenorio-Miller. JaSon anDErSon