I’m sure I’m not alone in hearing Red Ivory for the first time on Lou Smith‘s YouTube feed, which is an essential source of killer new music. I’ll get to that video, but let’s start with their ripping, excellent first single, “No. 7”, from late 2022:

The music is sludgy and grungy, like Sonic Youth or early 90s grunge. There’s a lot of attitude and great slacker energy here, and the melody is catchy as hell. I can’t get enough of this song.

Early in 2023, they released the follow-up single, “Answers”. It’s a softer, more like the post-punk sound that’s everywhere right now, a bit reminiscent of Bar Italia. More great stuff:

Red Ivory released a debut EP called Façade in early 2023, and it’s not available on streaming services (Bandcamp Friday is coming up), and it includes the two songs above plus five more. It sounds like a band trying to find their comfort zone, testing different styles and sounds while they establish their brand. “No. 7” and “Answers” are the standouts on it, and if you like what you’ve heard so far, you should have a listen to the rest.

Now onto the Lou Smith recording. This was shot on July 24 at a venue called Easycome, The Old Dispensary in London. It sounds like Red Ivory has found their sound, and it’s a lot heavier than much of what is on that debut EP. They play 6 songs here and only one of them is from the EP (“No. 7”, of course). The audio is a little rough around the edges at the beginning, but give it a chance:

The intensity and attitude of the band is established by about the 4-minute mark and the band starts to look more composed and comfortable. By the time they hit “Crashing Down” at about the 7-minute mark, the performance is absorbing, and imperfect in a promising, charming way. “No. 7” is a highlight of the live show at the 10:45 mark. I bet these songs would clean up well in a studio too.

No word on whether we can expect another single or EP from Red Ivory anytime soon. They’ve got a couple gigs coming up in September, so maybe there will be some more performance videos to check out in the meantime.

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