Into Arcadia

On the new CD by Milwaukee’s Into Arcadia, subdued grooves—that nevertheless veer toward the martial—mesh with chordal gauze and sheen as singer-guitarist Otto Ohlsson soul baringly wails in existential despair. They may unwittingly reference a Duran Duran side project with their name, but Into Arcadia’s sound more closely align with the mid-’80s dovetailing of new wave and post-punk with prog rock. Savvy listeners with long enough memories and big enough music collections may hear echoes of The Police, The Fixx, Killing Joke and Echo & The Bunnymen (especially in Ohlsson’s vocal resemblance to chief B-man Ian McCullough). Into Arcadia labor in the penumbra of their predecessors, but, as they soldier on through the emotional murk, they may well find the unique expression for which they strive.