Patrick Spillane and Ruby Jones – neurodivergent and eccentric. Together, they form The Exotic Ices Project. Last year, I reviewed their debut, Sunshine Desserts, and you can see this by clicking on the button below.

They return in 2024  with Anthems For Outcasts, which examines diversity and differences from the perspective of two who will be familiar with such situations and arguments.

Now, let’s make something clear from the outset. This album does not fit within any of the genre styles with which this website is most associated with, so prog rock, folk rock, jazz rock, hard rock. To be honest, it doesn’t really fit within any genre, and therein lies, I believe, its primary purpose. They state that they are a duo reimagining what it means to be a band in the 2020’s. The style is wildly eclectic, and anyone who listens to their wonderful monthly radio show on Progzilla Radio will instantly recognise this eclecticism inherent in their tastes and how they present themselves. My take on all this is simply that they present a modern form of the type of English eccentricity I have valued since a very young man enjoying stuff like Python and Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and the like.

For those who refuse to move beyond a Genesis in 1975, a Lindisfarne in 1972, and such like, this album probably presents a huge challenge. For all else, namely the openminded readers of this little website of mine, you can be assured that they can play. Spillane is a terrific drummer, and Jones adds a vast range of sonic soundscapes with multi-instruments. It is raw, and deliberately so. It is imbued with the spirit of those halcyon anti-dinosaur records of the punk and new wave eras in the sense of not wanting a sanitised sound.

There are ten tracks on the album. It is released on 9th November, and you can get it at https://theexoticicesproject.bandcamp.com/album/anthems-for-outcasts Artwork, incidentally, was provided by friend of this website, and contributor to a multitude of modern progressive bands, Charlie Bramald.

We open with And Through the Light. As with much here, it has a nice 80’s feel to it, a curious mix of electro pop and Rush circa Signals etc. Some nice soundscapes are created on the synths especially, and it races along at a rate of knots. It has been released on Bandcamp ahead of the album, and it is embedded below.

Jobson’s Hourglass has a video I have embedded below. It features the characters of Doctor Wankenstein & Count Dracula, which probably tells you all you need to know! A pop rock song, it is frenetic with a post punk feel. I like the darker mood in the brief instrumental mid-section, and it takes a gothic turn from there.

Chaos in Motion follows, and I have embedded another video for this. This reminds me of some of the darker pop music of the 1980’s, and there are some interesting effects in there.

Electrolyte Concerto in D Major is one hell of a title, and it is a very good track, my favourite on the album. A modern take on classical/rock fusion, it is very well played and chirpy. I love the guitar riffs in this.

Mr Bitches Part 2 is a direct sequel to a track on the debut album. It is heavier than all which preceded it here, with darker riffs and, I believe, making a statement. It is an interesting mix, referencing ELP, Aerosmith, amongst other influences, a real smorgasbord of a track.

Theatre Under Stars is, I think, the proggiest of the tracks, taking its music influence from 80’s Genesis alongside a Roxy Music feel (yes, that is a strange brew). It is a bright song which I believe makes a reference to freedom, the universal need to be what you want, how you want, when you want. There is a grandiose feel to the closing 90 seconds, or so. “I like it!”  are the closing words, the strongest statement since a certain Mr Belew exclaimed it getting on forty years ago now.

Kooky Romance feels like an expression of anger to me. It gallops quicker than a champion horse in The Oaks, and I wonder is this a reflection of life and dating as a neurodiverse person? Musically, it is strongly influenced by the late 1970’s New Wave.

Another Man is another New Wave infused song, combining this with more than a hint of 70’s Abba/Disco. It is not, I will be frank, my usual musical comfort zone, but I appreciate it because it is never a bad thing to be dragged out of said place, and therein, I believe, lies the duo’s strongest suit. They refuse to be pigeonholed, and that can only be a positive.

Last up is You and Me, bright, bouncy, and I think a tribute to Patrick & Ruby’s friendship, a strong relationship even after all the rows and flare ups. There are some exceptional keyboard solos, and furious drumming from Spillane.

In 2024, a year in which it is possible to listen to perhaps the broadest range of music in rock’s history, The Exotic Ices Project quite possibly stand out as the most eclectic and “out there” act on offer in our little musical world.