Artist:     Into the Ivy

Album:     Into the Ivy

Label:     Independent

Release Date:     7.13.2017

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The eponymous debut release from newcomers, Into the Ivy clocks in as a five-track EP, and almost defies categorizing. Is it roots, is it folk, is it pop? In truth, who really knows? At times it has a simple, pop vibe with shades of Nashville, or 1970s-West Coast singer/songwriter in its richly textured, well-delivered harmonies and overall soundscape. In reality it’s also a surprising collaboration between two lesser-known musicians both of whom owe their respective reputations to that bane of modern music life, the TV talent contest.

The two guys featuring here, Jordy Searcy, from Alabama, and Whitney Dean, both surfaced in one guise or other on the small screen in the USA. Dean, now a producer and the co-writer of the cuts on this project, works alongside America’s Got Talent contestant Cami Bradley in a duo, the Sweeplings, while Searcy comes from televisual rival show, The Voice. The pair chanced on each other when both were booked for a gig in Florence, AL, connected well and felt they had a similar approach and hope for the music, which lead to this debut offering.

Dean, with the Sweeplings, has a back-history of TV-show writing success with credits across a number of well-known shows, a factor that inevitably gives this project a greater strength and optimism than might otherwise be the case. Searcy’s voice has a nicely finished, warm, smooth delivery and a fine harmonic range that blends perfectly with Dean’s own vocal style. The result here is an acoustic-based, delightfully melodic release that holds suggestion of future promise. Into the Ivy works well as background music, never too demanding or overwhelming, with themes that mirror most of the music around today: yearning, love and stripped-down emotion. This EP is always pleasant, easy on the ear and holds the promise of more to come.

—Iain Patience