Ivory Daze are a grungy-shoegaze trio hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska, made up of longtime friends: Isahen Harms on guitar, vocals, and lyrics; Maeve Nelson on drums; and Van Foster on bass. Their mission statement is refreshingly simple: “pop songs with distortion.” With their latest EP, Chlorine, the band prove that pop can be just as noisy and chaotic as it is deliberate and artful. Ivory Daze doesn’t rely on shock value, crafting songs that instead creep in slowly, and linger. The blend of fuzzed-out textures, dreamy vocals, and crushing riffs makes for a compelling and memorable listen.
The EP kicks off with “IV League,” a high-octane introduction to the band’s emotionally charged, guitar-driven sound. Its lyrics mirror that intensity, exploring themes of addictive love: “I wanna see you strung out for me, pass the I.V.” Next comes “Waco,” which opens with another blistering riff tailor-made for headbanging. The rest of the track is infused with feeling, revealing a more tender side of the band. “Corset” continues on this shift in pace, dialing back the tempo without sacrificing emotional weight or grit. It marks a pivotal moment of slowing things down, allowing the EP to breathe midway through.
“Apollo” revs things up again, injecting fresh energy into the tracklist from the first note. The frantic energy feels like a sprint to the end of the EP, building momentum with each chord and urgent vocal line sung. It barrels forward with a sense of restless catharsis, setting the stage for “Crawl” to bring everything full circle. That final track slows the pace once more, a slow but heavy riff that eventually reforms to a slowcore-leaning sensibility, letting what preceded it sit and settle. It rebuilds itself to a teetering breakdown that crashes and burns over and over before the record fades out.
Across five tracks, Ivory Daze navigate emotional extremes without ever losing their melodic core, proving that distortion and delicacy can coexist. Each song feels intentional yet unpolished in the best possible way – like a scuffed gem catching the light from a new angle. With its aching vocals and swirling guitars that co-function with the noise and emotion embedded in the music, Chlorine is a statement of Ivory Daze’s commitment to crafting beauty from internal and external chaos.
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