Fire & Ivy: The Indie BarlowGirl of the Future?| Posted February 08, 2017
I have a confession to make: I kind of miss BarlowGirl. Yeah, the trio of sisters who made radio hit after radio hit with their smooth harmonies and burgundy vocals (I really have no other way to describe them) left an impression. As the industry desperately needs some new female voices, I have to say, I was excited to stumble across Fire & Ivy.
Made up of singers Chelsea Fritchey and Alexis Zelaya, this Florida duo isn't a sister act, but you wouldn't know it by the way their voices seamlessly blend. On their Eternity EP, they not only weave EDM, pop and worship elements together--they do so with very straightforward lyrics and inventive, unconventional, almost conversational phrasing.
The themes throughout Eternity involve growing and maintaining an eternal perspective. "Fire in the Sky" is a song of dedication--a New Year's resolution--to stop wasting time and to live for Christ. On "If You See Me," Fire & Ivy appeal to the community of faith to keep watch over their souls, saying, "When I stumble and when I fall, don't be afraid to come / Share with me words of life ... remind me this is not my home." The chorus nicely stretches out the word "home" with soaring tones that will stick in your head.
There are some Alessia Cara vibes on the title track, "Eternity," which basically is based on Matthew 16:26: "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" Continuing this line of thinking is my favorite song on the EP, "Yours to Use," which takes the eternal perspective to our temporal world, praying, "Savior make me new / My life is yours to use." Again, they make good use of stretching a single word, with the words "use" and "whoa" providing an awesome vocal riff to complement the driving EDM beat.
As an Imogen Heap fan, I was immediately "drawn in" by the song, "Draw Me In" (how appropriate) and its simple, vocoder-driven tones. This EP closer only mildly crescendos to the end of the track, instead putting the emphasis on the harmonies and the profound vocals, including the self-evident, but poignant statement: "To be human is to be horribly flawed." Not staying on that thought, Fire & Ivy later sings, "Instead of condemning you forgive / Instead of shunning you embrace."
The Bottom Line:
Fire & Ivy represent the latest example of how the independent Christian music scene is filling voids the rest of the industry has yet to fill. Fans of BarlowGirl and even Addison Road will find something to love with Eternity, with uncompromising lyrics and smooth harmonies. Is there room for this duo to grow in terms of polish, production and songwriting? For sure, but with Eternity, Fire & Ivy has taken a first step towards making a real impact on the Christian music landscape.
Song to Download:
"Yours to Use" (Get it on iTunes here.)
to add lyrics if not listed.
