Floating. Fluttery. Sparse. Intimate. All words that have been used to describe the music Lia Ices creates, and while all are spot on, I hear a quiet reservation bubbling below the surface of her songs. And while they are melodic, and whisper-quiet at times, the energy behind the effort is palpable. As you hit repeat, the songs lose any sort of condensed focus you may have heard upon first listen, becoming sprawling, expansive, and downright beautiful.
The quiet moments Ices conjures are truly powerful, and on “Daphne,” we are led down a musical path where the sound builds with each step we take. And as Justin Vernon, for lack of a better term, “Bon Ivers” himself into the forefront, we’re immediately pulled off course, and placed firmly on a new road paved with piano and guitar of the electric variety.
Download it, and pop on some headphones to listen for the first time. Lay back and enjoy, and when you’re done, pick up her entire album, Grown Unknown, here.