What does it mean to be iconic? It’s something greater than excellence, and more fundamental and resonant than perfection. An icon doesn’t just stand for something – it encapsulates its essence and transmits that essence to its audience. An artist who is iconic has, through force of integrity and charisma, become a living symbol. Those who shoot for iconic status are looking to make a lasting impression on the culture, and they carry themselves accordingly.
The members of LVVRS would never call themselves iconic. For one thing, they’re far too young for that. But their casual confidence makes it clear that they possess what it takes to be so. They understand the power that iconic status confers, and they’re ready to chase the glory. “Iconic,” their aptly-titled new single, sounds big and sleek, catchy, punchy, and immediate; it’s a sonic expression of extreme self-confidence. Will it take over the world? Nobody can say for sure. But it definitely sounds like it could.
Nothing about “Iconic”suggests this, about LVVRS had humble beginnings. These musicians come from Acadiana, the humid, verdant, tree-shrouded Southern region of Louisiana. Acadiana has produced a flood of great art, but news of happenings in these remote parishes doesn’t always travel quickly to the outside world. Nevertheless, nothing could keep the lid on LVVRS, who’ve developed a sound that would play anywhere. The group plays with the power and conviction of modern rockers, but they’ve also got the precision, meticulousness, and attention towards sonic detail suggestive of electronic artists.
“Iconic,” like all of their songs, works equally well on the dancefloor or roaring out the window of a speeding car. And singer River Gibson delivers it with sweetness rare in any style – and just enough grit to let you know he means business. As any aspiring icon would, he also takes music videos very seriously. Every prior LVVRS single (there’ve been four others) has been accompanied by a clip, and these have been stylish, glossy, cinematic, and ready to go widescreen. The video for “Iconic” renews the band’s partnership with director Alexander Breaux, another Louisiana artist with a big vision and energy to burn. Breaux’s camera captures Gibson in a convenience store of many mysteries – one with doors that open into other dimensions. In between Gibson’s discoveries, shots of angled animal masks, and sequences captured in netherworlds crammed with psychedelic effects, there’s plenty of footage of LVVRS in action, singing and playing with the swagger of stars.
