Ivy Lab – ‘Missing Persons’ (EP)

Opening with the title track featuring a guest appearance from Frank Carter III (he’s on it so little I hope they didn’t pay him much) the EP gets off to a soulful start before someone sets the drum machine going and ruins it, with the fast-paced drum and bass riff being entirely different to the slow, sensual nature of the rest of the record. ‘Missing Persons’ is fine at the times when the drum machine is given time to rest but even without that it does sound like an off-the-shelf relaxation CD has been put on. It’s hardly dolphin sound but it’s hardly engaging music either. {rating}

‘Live On Your Smile’ treads a similar path and disappears well into the background of whatever you’re doing at the time, but it’s well produced and will keep fans of the genre happy.

‘Pepper’, with Emperor on guest vocals, sounds like the producer was playing Flappy Bird at the same time whilst having daydreams of NASA space missions and it descends from there into something too eccentric and random for my taste.

Before a remix of that track finishes the EP we get ‘Sunday Crunk’ which is a funkier, more enjoyable number, but again lacks any huge ideas to carry the record. The ‘Missing Persons’ EP will have its niche audience but it’s not for me with its lack of key ideas.

Download the EP:

Post Author: Philip Lickley