With four albums already to her credit, Denver’s Melissa Ivey’s Lovers And Stars EP should satisfy her base while she works on her new disc. More than just a stopgap collection, Lovers And Stars demonstrates that this young talent may very well be poised to be a huge star. Possessing the breezy delivery of everyone from the Indigo Girls to Sheryl Crow, Ivey is one of those rare performers who happens to sound completely at home in a song. “Everywhere and Nowhere” sounds like the hit that’s been eluding Crow for years; “Far Far Away” is a revved-up number about embracing life on the road; and the title track deliciously brings to mind Gwen Stefani fronting a roots band. Loaded with presence, poise and confidence, Ivey’s rueful “Eye On The Door” is a song that’s not afraid to put its foot down, while the acoustic ballad “No Ties To Break” is a cautionary tale about when “love stops glowing.” A talented musician, Ivey’s got all the vocal muscle and songwriting nerve to go anywhere she wants. My guess is that’s straight to the top.
~ Alex Green
Release date: October 3, 2006
