The beginning of February saw the release of Reflections, the debut EP from Merseyside-based psychedelic rock trio The Ivies. The band formed whilst at university in Liverpool, and have since played sets at some of the region’s best live venues, including EBGB’s, Jimmy’s and Future Yard.
Reflections is a four-track EP that perfectly shows off The Ivies’ skillset as writers and instrumentalists. Drawing on influences such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, the band’s musical intention and potential is clear through this collection of songs. Each track has a life and identity of its own, and this is reflected in the cover art for the EP.
The opening track, Burning serves as an exemplar of the depth of variety and complexity that The Ivies brilliantly, and stylishly, showcase through Reflections. The runtime of Burning sits at an epic 8:56 minutes, with the length of the track matched by the eclectic sounds that come and go throughout. The track has a long, slow build up that pads out a finger-picked guitar line with subtle cymbals and synths, conjuring images of a Spaghetti Western in true psychedelic style. The drums don’t kick in until over 2 minutes into the song, with the vocals following a few seconds later; singing of mountains, stones and rivers in a dreamy, folky voice. Another 2 minute pass by, before an electric guitar wobbles in. All of a sudden the track has flown by to nearly 6 minutes where we hear some recited poetry. The track closes with a busting guitar solo that chases the listener out of the song and into the next.
The following tracks of the EP all offer a different vibe to the previous. Isolation and Floating offer the same quality and depth, but with a more stripped back feel. The influence of The Beatles’ Strawberry Fields era is evident in these tracks, as the psychedelic lyrics are matched by the lazy, musical pace and shorter durations.
Life is the closing track of this impressive release from The Ivies. Its runtime of 7:55 promises, and delivers, another high quality, cerebral track from the band. The progressive and layered instrumentation culminates “in an apocalyptic finish, after tales of helplessness, jealousy and anxiety”.
With this EP and a handful of other single releases, The Ivies are very much one to watch.
Stream Reflections on all major streaming platforms now and follow The Ivies on Instagram for updates.
Rachael Hankin
