Having been three years since Lia Ices’ sophomore record Grown Unkown, (her first release with Jagjaguwar) it feels like the Connecticut-born artist has been out of the fray for too long. Lia Ices’ (born Lia Kessel) striking vocals drew comparisons to artists from Kate Bush to Bat For Lashes, and the reaction to her second record propelled her to a position of added notoriety within the music world. Her new record, to be called simply Ices, is set for release on the 16th of September and is the end result of a two-year recording session with her “psychic twin brother,” Eliot Ices. Laying the base primarily in the Hudson Valley, though recording tracks all over America, the album is set to incorporate some new sounds and styles. With the inclusion of ‘Persian percussion, hip-hop beats, lo-fi, hi-fi, Pakistani pop, Link Wray, Jason Pierce, gospel, and dub all set to play role over the course of the 10 tracks.
‘’Higher’’ is the second track to be streamed from the new album and sees Lia Ices writing something which she descibes as “music I wanted to dance to.” The stabbing synths wouldn’t sound totally amiss on a La Roux track, but the trademark vocals add a sugar cube to the solution and ensure it is nothing but a Lia Ices track. The guitar played by her twin gives the song some meat, but carefully so. Eliot is cautious not to disrupt the lake of sound any more than a shimmer, and the result is impressive. Ices sings a chorus of “I will never leave you lonely,” adding an undercoat of sincerity and devotion, which forms a moving companion alongside the considerably brighter instrumentation. It’s catchy, it’s endearing, and the product is stunning.
Having been produced by Benny Sagittarius and with additional production from Clams Casino (of A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd and Blood Orange fame) ‘’Higher’’ sparkles and resonates a sweet sense of beauty which draws the demand for repeated listens from the word go. The breezy vocals align themselves perfectly with the more urgent keys, while the big tom drum patterns throughout the verses underline the whole thing in wonderful fashion. Alongside the first release, ‘’Thousand Eyes,’’ ‘’Higher’’ stirs a sense of excitement and expectation surrounding Ices. It may have been three years, but Lia Ices is proving herself, again, as an artist who is beyond able to write a great pop track.
‘’Higher’’ is to be released as a single on the 8th of September on Jagjaguwar.