Haunted by the strings that guide its signature harmony from the moment we press play forward, Izzy Outerspace’s “Jump” is as close to an album-defining track as her new record Amazon contains outside of its title cut, but cosmetics aren’t the exclusive reason why. A vocal-driven yet multidimensional affair, Amazon is strikingly subtle but undisputedly packed with more emotionality than its clandestine lyricism would initially suggest, and much like “Jump,” it feels tailored to the vibe of an early winter season in 2020. Izzy Outerspace isn’t an artist I was familiar with before coming across this EP, but it’s difficult for me to imagine her remaining under the radar of many critics in the New Year. Her talents are on full display here, and offered without any sort of filtration outside of the organic instrumental accents of her guitar.
BANDCAMP: https://izzyouterspace.bandcamp.com/album/amazon
The fragility this singer/songwriter presents us with in “Stars,” “Empty,” the soft “Wildfires” and suffocating indie rocker “Spare Time” is quite telling of her priorities as a recording artist, and moreover, her immense depth as a poet. There’s an expressiveness to most every angle of these tracks, from the lyrics themselves to the very manner in which they’ve been constructed to create fluidity and a sense of continuity with the other material on the record. I’m tempted to call it progressive but fear that the term might be a little too suggestive of overindulgence for it to properly describe the aesthetical approach Izzy Outerspace is taking here. I’m definitely intrigued, and if this is just a taste of her abilities I can’t imagine how potent her proper full-length debut will sound.
From a lyrical perspective, Amazon is as tough as nails and fearsomely discloses a lot of its creator’s personality to us without having to rely on a lot of the same old predictable metaphors you’d find across the whole of the alternative dial in 2020. By extension, there’s an argument to be made that some of the songs – like the title track or “Vietnam,” for example – might not have been as accessible to a general audience were they not being performed by Izzy Outerspace (and specifically without the charm of her sterling lead vocal). Her voice is absolutely her ticket to fame, and I don’t see many critics disagreeing with me after listening to anything on this EP.
DEEZER: https://www.deezer.com/us/artist/107458132/radio?autoplay=true
I haven’t personally encountered many debut records that required as much of my attention right out of the gate as Amazon has, and I would even say that at this moment Izzy Outerspace should be considered one of the more credible rookies worth keeping a close eye on in 2021. Her skillset is really allowed to run wild in this extended play, with songs like “Home” and “Wildfires” giving me chills through far more channels than those typical of an indie pop debut. Izzy Outerspace is onto something really fetching in Amazon, and I can’t wait to hear how she’s going to develop it in the next year to come.
Troy Johnston