Dualtone Records – Unsung Sundays https://unsungsundays.com What you should be listening to. Sun, 23 Oct 2016 04:06:39 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.1 Ivan & Alyosha: It’s All Just Pretend https://unsungsundays.com/album-reviews/ivan-alyosha-just-pretend/ Sun, 24 May 2015 12:03:47 +0000 http://unsungsundays.com/?post_type=album_reviews&p=590 Ivan & Alyosha’s sophomore record might play it safe, but when your songwriting is as good as this, it might not matter at all.

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]]> There are three directions a band could go with a sophomore record. The first thing they could try to do is grow, push their boundaries, break beyond their limitations. When this fails, it’s often catastrophic for a band. The second is to sell out, which… Well, it’s selling out.

The third thing a band can do is play it safe. Instead of selling out or pushing limits, the band sticks with what they know. Sometimes, this can be perceived as a slump, which is to say a creative rut, but other times it means the band is simply aware of what they’re good at.

Ivan & Alyosha know what they’re good at.

Since their debut feature-length in 2013, All The Times We Had, the band has grown in size and brought on two new members. It’s All Just Pretend, they sound larger, but they still sound as intimate as they did before.

In fact, the biggest success of It’s All Just Pretend is that the band still sounds incredibly intimate. And while the material is getting more crowd-friendly, with sing-alongs that will work well in stadiums. But the band hasn’t forgotten its roots: All This Wandering Around and the title track feel like “vintage” Ivan & Alyosha, if you can call it that.

At the end of the day, Ivan & Alyosha has always been a crowd-pleaser. Their songs were campfire-worthy, the sort of songs you share with your friends so you can sing together at a concert. While the band doesn’t seemed destined to push themselves towards a Grammy anytime soon, It’s All Just Pretend is a wildly optimistic and pleasantly listenable pop/rock record that’s easy to love.

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]]> Iva & Alyosha: All The Times We Had https://unsungsundays.com/album-reviews/ivan-alyosha-all-times-we-had/ Sun, 16 Jun 2013 12:05:34 +0000 http://unsungsundays.com/?post_type=album_reviews&p=1536 The debut record from Ivan & Alyosha is a beautiful blend of gospel, folk, and indie rock that captures a true zeal for life.

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]]> This is Ivan & Alyosha’s debut album. It came out earlier this year, but they’ve gotten way less press than they deserve. All the Times We Had is tinted with folk, country and gospel influences — with a smattering of The Beatles thrown in for good measure. (If you don’t believe me about that Beatles influence, give their live performance of Be Your Man a listen.)

The debut single from this record, Running For Cover, is a decent introduction to the band. But what separates Ivan & Alyosha from so many other bands, apart from their gospel-influenced roots, is the power of their lyrics. The Fold is one of the most encouraging songs I’ve heard all year, and songs like Don’t Wanna Die Anymore capture a hope for meaning in life most musicians won’t dare put into words. A truly beautiful album that I’ve had on repeat for months.

It’s refreshing to hear a little gospel influence in indie rock these days, and given the quality of this record, I suspect it won’t be the last time.

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