iC1s: What Took You So Long?

Be Lucky

Vinyl / Stream

Released 3 October

Here at LTW, we love a feel-good story, and the release of iC1’s debut album more than a decade after the band split is just that.

iC1s were on the cusp of great things, but as they explain, ‘Just as the music was coming together, the band was falling apart. A long legal battle with their former manager meant the album was shelved indefinitely – and the band split up. Then, in November 2024, the band reunited for a one-off sold-out reunion show at Camden Assembly. What started as a nostalgic return turned into a revival. Two singles were recorded to mark the occasion, and by January 2025, the original lineup was back in the studio. The result is What Took You So Long?‘

And it’s obvious from the dozen tracks here that the guys had a whole lot on their minds and plenty to get off their chests, as they cover a whole range of human experience and emotion through the medium of clever, accessible and classy guitar-driven indie rock, produced with obvious love and delivered with panache. There’s bags of humour from the off with the bright and breezy rocker, Armada, presenting an amusing admission of verbal diarrhoea, ‘And if it’s loose lips that sink ships, Then I’m taking down a whole Armada.’

Don’t Change is a tongue-in-cheek, sub-three minute stomper, complete with explosive riff (of which there are many on the album), a vigorous workout on the drums, and more of those droll lyrics, ‘Don’t go outside, You’re always staying in, You’ve always got your curtains closed, You’re always looking pale and thin.’ Lead single, Wack Jack, is actually rather creepy, but you can’t help smiling at the way the deceptively lovey-dovey intro gives way to the deliriously demented declaration of instability of, we’re reliably informed, the band’s stalkers, ‘I’m a little bit wack jack, a little bit mental, little bit cuckoo, bit experimental.’

But as well as having a bit of fun, iC1s aren’t afraid to look on the dark side of life. Growing Up Going Down is all unfulfilled dreams, small-town frustrations, heavy beats, backing vocals and careering guitars, demonstrating a Jam-like ability to bring energy to bleak subject matter. In The End, probably the most intense track, displays a sense of simmering aggression and desperation, while the hard-edged ferocity of If You Don’t Like It You Know Where The Door Is proves as catchy as it is gritty.

If, on the other hand, you prefer uplifting, latest release Levitate is just the job. With a riff fleetingly reminiscent of Blondie’s Dreaming, this early single from back in the day boasts a huge guitar sound which perfectly complements the impassioned lyrics, ‘I’ll never leave you alone again, Don’t want to be on my own again, When my feet don’t touch the ground, I’m levitating.’ And if you want lifting higher still, Not Perfect is a heartwarming tale of love surviving against all the odds.

Finally, there’s the anthems, songs worthy of arenas even if they end up being played in clubs. The monumental Beautiful Ugly, with its plaintive vocal and searing guitar solo, builds and builds to its emotive conclusion. The short but sweet tear-jerker, Talking In Silence, feels epic despite its brevity, and the melancholic introspection of Glue and the lighters-in-the-air finale, Soul On Trial, offer further evidence of the band’s ability to get right under the skin.

As the title suggests, What Took You So Long is a somewhat overdue album, but one which was very much worth waiting for. With live dates in the pipeline and renewed enthusiasm apparent within the band, this will hopefully herald the dawning of a new era for iC1s, with plenty more to look forward to for them and us.

Catch iC1s live: London Dingwalls, 8th November 

iC1s Linktree

All words by Robin Boardman. More writing from Robin for Louder Than War can be found at his author’s archive.