Big Wheel (1993)

Icehouse's Big Wheel is a record that boasts no bad songs. However, despite its consistency, it doesn't quite hit the mark for me as a fan of the band's trademark sound. The album's influences from David Bowie and T-Rex are quite evident, straying away from the classic Icehouse sound that I have grown to love.

Big Wheel, the album's title track, is a good song that has a lot of energy and engaging music, but it feels more simplistic than what the band had done in their first five albums. Although it's a solid track, I don't find myself wanting to frequently return to it. Satellite on the other hand is a pretty good single that matches the tone of the album and is just interesting enough to earn some replays.

Goodbye, Valentine feels like a love letter to T-Rex and showcases the band's range in terms of musical influences. The highlight track, though, for me is Invisible People with its almost rock reggae-styled guitar opening. It ticks all of my boxes and really stands out from the rest of the album, which shortly after fades away into the shadows. From Cadillac to the live Blank Frank, they all really blend together. I find myself divided with Big Wheel.

Some critics have argued that Big Wheel doesn't bring anything new or innovative to the table. While the album does have a solid sound and production, it doesn't push the boundaries of Icehouse's genre or introduce any new groundbreaking ideas. While there are some good tracks on Big Wheel, there are also plenty of weaker ones that can drag the album down as a whole. This inconsistency in quality can make the record feel disjointed or forgettable. I’ve listened to it a few times now and my brain strains to try and remember the track list and what makes the songs standout from the others.

Regardless, Big Wheel isn’t a poor album by any means and for some this might be their best record in years. It doesn’t quite hit the mark for me and when held up against the bands earlier work, I find myself a tad disappointed.

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Highlight Song:

• Invisible People

• Satellite

• Goodbye, Valentine

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Own it, Stream it, Forget about it?

Personally I would say just stream it. If the source material this album was influenced by is your thing then you may love the record more than I did and I would encourage you to buy it. If not, stream it once, collect the songs you like from it and move to the next.

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Overall Rating:

3 Stars