This week's feature album comes from Melbourne-based trio Izy (pronounced eye-zee) with their debut release Irene.
Deeply connected to their roots and their families, the band and the album are named after guitarist Ryo Montgomery's paternal grandmother, Irene.
Ryo, bassist Warrigo Tyrrell, and drummer Maru Nitor Zamatarro all found music at a young age with each growing up in unique musical families. Ryo moved between his mother’s home in rural Japan and his father’s blues bar in Cairns where he watched legends of guitar play and where he performed his first shows. Maru was playing guiro in his parent’s cumbia band Los Caracoles before he turned five. Warrigo grew up jamming on Shadows covers and Aboriginal protest rock with his fathers and brothers, members of the Kalkadoon and Waanyi nations.
Though this is the band's first full-length release, Irene is an album of maturity that deeply expressed the band's rich musical and cultural history. Expect raw neo-soul grooves, rich vocal harmonies and subtle jazz guitar that come together to fill the room with warmth.
In their own words:
“This album is a tangled culmination of interpersonal relationships; love, society and land. “We three are super blessed to share stories and when we connect, we amplify and respond to each other, which makes it easy to create music and get our message
across for our family and our community.”
Irene is out Friday March 26 via Hopestreet Recordings. PBS members can tune in all week for a chance to win a vinyl copy of the album. Not a member? Join up now!
TOP TRACKS WE'RE LOVING
Hiatus Kaiyote - 'Get Sun (feat. Arthur Verocai)'
April March, Olivia Jean - 'Allons-y'
Tadahiko Yokogawa - 'Stop Me'
Dry Cleaning - 'Scratchcard Lanyard'
Mdou Moctar - 'Chismiten'
The Oogars - 'Girl In The Mirror'
Perfume Genius & Actress - 'One More Try (Actress Remix)'
Monique diMattina - 'Lily on Stilts'
Laura MacFarlane - 'Nightlight'
