ICED MERLOT – a collaboration between stalwarts JW Francis and Paul Cherry – is a collection of breezy indie-pop songs that combine slacker rock vibes with lo-fi textures and classic song structures.
Like an amalgamation of Lou Reed and Swiss Portrait or J Mascis working with Albert Hammond Jr, this little EP is a shimmering sparkling gem. It begins and we’re definitely in lo-fi bedroom pop territory. We’re reminded a little of Steve Miller or Ian Hunter vocally and when the first song gets to the chorus the harmonies come in and it’s absolutely blissful.
There are some particularly enjoyable lyrical moments. Lines like “we were just moving to the music, I let you choose it” and “planning for a sunny day and then I see a tornado” – have a way of painting a picture in a very vivid but at the same time distinctly succinct way that is atypically artful. Musically, there are occasional dustings of new wave sounds here as well as jangly indie tones, classic rock bits, and maybe a little psychedelia coming through too.
Altogether, ICED MERLOT is quite the patchwork of styles and it has an undeniable, unavoidable charm that permeates each of the three songs. They feel familiar but at the same time decidedly individualistic.
Fairly sure they’d sound even better accompanied by a glass of chilled red too.
Written Kinda Grizzly
