IVES, an LA-based shoegaze duo made up of Chris Kellogg on guitar and Ivory on vocals, opens their new album era with this one, and it’s a good introduction to what they do. The song starts with a melodic guitar line that slowly roughens up, joined by a psychedelic lead that gives the whole thing a cool electric charge. The drums come in a few seconds later, simple and steady, holding the groove without being overly complicated.
The vocals land softly, like a dove, silky and drenched in reverb, with backup vocals blending in so smoothly they feel like one voice. The space around them feels huge and immersive. The cadence is seamless and pleasing, with a lot of subtle details in the textures and the way it’s sung that make the delivery slap way harder.
In my own paradise there’s no wrong there’s no right just a different point of view of the flowers as we all go home to die
That line sums up the whole song, which, in my opinion, feels like a philosophical view of life and death: no judgment, just different perspectives on the same inevitable ending. The image of eyes opening and closing over and over mirrors that in-and-out feeling – awake one moment, drifting the next, never fully settled in either state.
One of the best choices here is how the song pulls back during the verses: It sounds quieter and more intimate before opening back up for the chorus, a subtle shift that puts real focus on the vocals before the song regains its brightness. Everything about the arrangement feels effortless, which is why a song over three minutes somehow still feels brief.
“Eyes Wide Shut” is an amazing and conscious song, the type to put on repeat and lose track of how many times you’ve played it. Take a listen below.
Written by Toyo Senpai
