Ivan & Alyosha have flown a bit under the radar in the Seattle music scene, quietly unveiling The Verse, The Chorus, a brilliant seven-song EP recorded and self-released by the duo earlier this summer. The band hits a sweet spot of anglophilic pop (swaggering tracks that skate between T Rex and Travis—imagine “Driftwood” with less drama and more handclaps. Pure! Pop! Gold!) Jangling guitars and brief spots of falsetto are here throughout. “Easy to Love,” though, is the unlikely hit, slowly appearing with a muted stomp and a simple acoustic guitar strum, radiating a simple beauty as the line “You’re really easy to love” is repeated over and over again. Then the song disappears just as seemlessly. Along with the Tacoma’s always purple-lit Mono in VCF, who headlined Ivan & Alyosha’s EP release, there seems to be a new Northwest Anglo-pop invasion comin’ on. Somebody start a label!
Standout Tracks: “Easy to Love,” “Some Friend You Are”