Featuring 14 collaborators, Alice Ivy’s new album is a celebration of community and diversity
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16.07.2020

Featuring 14 collaborators, Alice Ivy’s new album is a celebration of community and diversity

Words by Leland Tan

The music of Alice Ivy is ambitious and refreshing.

Ever-changing and dexterous, Alice Ivy has knocked it out of the park on her inclusive sophomore album, Don’t Sleep. Dripping with luscious grooves that evoke a sense of vibrancy from a well-loved producer, every track holds the fort swimmingly in an album that’s an immediate cursor from debut, I’m Dreaming.

Having expressed her hankering for taking productions/listeners down rabbits holes of sonic surprise, the Melburnian sticks to her mercurial ways on Don’t Sleep; mid-album ‘Sweetest Love’ bubbles under the surface before mutating into an intricate but fervent dance break – a dramatic underscoring of track collaborator Montaigne’s emotionality and efficacy.

‘My Turn’ first journeys as a placid endeavour that sneakily mirrors the same course as previous track, ‘Better Man’, letting sincere vocals take centrestage. But a little after its minute-mark, the song pivots into the most roaring break on the album – Swsh’s equally-menacing vigour firmly stowing the track as personal pick of mine.

Meanwhile, through ‘Money’ and ‘All Hit Radio’ we are given a window into Ivy’s striking soul and hip hop influences (J Dilla a particular favourite), while ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Don’t Sleep’ cement the musician’s radio-friendly inkling in two bonafide earworms.

On Don’t Sleep, the 27-year-old champions individuality and identity, and the album’s unabashed recruitment of budding talent – bringing rise to individually compelling features and varied signatures – is splendidly chameleon.

7.5

Alice Ivy’s new album, Don’t Sleep, is out on Friday July 17 via Dew Process. Grab a copy of the record here.

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