Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Picture the setting, it has to special, alluring, verging on the perfect, historic… hopefully, tantalising with its reverb, dripping in the expectation of its audience; you can record a performance anywhere and sell it to the fans, but its takes the right combination of all its parts to make it one that is distinctive, different, as rock solid as evidence as laid before the judges of musical flavour as can possibly be obtained by fair means or subversion to make it sound creatively cool and pulsating with life unexpected.
Live recordings can fall either side of this, the fascination of the reveal overshadowing the drama of the night where the band put the faith in fate and dexterity above their own individual needs and showcase talent and proud assertions of what is to come down the long line of performances.
Phenomenal debuts are scarce, they can be interesting, they can be vital, harmonious, sincerely greeted by a crowd wanting to be thrown into the deep end and come up gasping for breath as they smile broadly in the shadows; and some catch the uninitiated unawares, the power displayed knocking them sideways as they hear the reproduced sound of the evening in question.
Sounds such as one created by the female fronted Ivy Gold as they conjoin their first tour with a live album release, their debut album, Six Dusty Winds still very much in the memory as its songs give pleasure time and time again; and as Live At The Jovel proves, this is a five piece group of musicians out to prove with no ambiguity and with a bucket load of inspiration to their name, that they are on the way to leaving craters of positive awareness, mountains of respect, in their wake.
It wouldn’t be the same if the crowd didn’t approach any new venture with a hint of doubt, but let that five-letter word be put to the sword gratefully early on, for as Sebastian Eder, Tal Bergman, Kevin Moore, Anders Olinder, and the striking vocals of Manou prove with great persuasion on tracks such as the opener This Is My Time, Without You, Suspicious, the studio album title track of Six Dusty Winds, and the finale of the set in Retribution, Live At The Jovel is only the beginning, only the start of a deep mark of esteem and detailed joy of listening to their live set, their expanse sound and rhythmic groove.
Live At The Jovel is the first passionate kiss from a lover that you always wanted to know, intimate and regard being felt on the lips of musical enjoyment.
Ivy Gold releases Live At The Jovel on July 16th via Golden Ivy Records.
Ian D. Hall