Spike Ivory – Outside Looking In
Spike Ivory – Outside Looking In – Album Review
I suppose the biography covers at least a little bit of the giant hole in Spike’s resume…but I’m not sure it covers the entirety of what’s kept him from releasing music in between 2005 & his resurfacing in 2022. Make no mistake, Ivory’s been at this for quite some time – that same bio will tell ya that he “crafted his unique sound and style back in the late 70s, early 80s.” Presumably, that didn’t happen when he was only ten years old…so it’s likely safe to say that Mr. Ivory here is starting to get up there in age, but when the will is strong and the desire is there, you keep on keepin’ on, as they say, and long may he run.
It’s equally fair to say that you’ll be able to appreciate the sound of something like the opening track being closer to what you’d have found in the 70s/80s than perhaps what you’d find out there today, unless you know where to look. “Carolina” appears here, remixed from the original version that was released back in 2022 when he started to get his new material online…and there ain’t nothin’ wrong with bringing back a tune you know you can trust to kick things off. I dig the piano/guitar combo you’ll hear at the start of the song, and I feel like Spike’s vocals have that naturally charming sound to’em as he sings. If I had to hazard a guess, based on what I’m hearing in the way the song is mixed, Spike likely considers himself to be a guitar player first & foremost…you’ll hear how consistently active he is with that part of the instrumentation all throughout “Carolina.” It keeps the song a little on the busier side of things if I’m being honest with ya…there’s a mellower vibe to the main hooks you’ll hear in the melody of “Carolina,” but Ivory is consistently adding more to the mix in his performance. Arguably, it might be a little distracting for some, but for the real fans of guitar-driven tunes, you’ll appreciate his approach. All-in-all, “Carolina” still retains the quaintness you’d wanna hear within the humble roots of its melody.
He’s got that quintessential rock-star sound you’d associate with many of the greats from Petty to Mellencamp to Springsteen…maybe even a little Fogerty too when you consider tracks like “Outside Looking In.” The main hooks he’s got added to the chorus of his title track are Pop/Rock perfection – Spike’s got a quality voice with lots of sincerity in his cadence and character…it’s quite appealing. I love the harmonics on the way into “Outside Looking In,” and the backing vocals you’ll find added in along the way are a real feature highlight too. I’d listen to this though…and I feel like many out there would – essentially, Spike’s rocking with a fairly timeless sound we all recognize, tried, tested, and true. There are some genuinely highlight moments emanating from that ol’ guitar of his, and he’s clearly passionate about what he does in this autobiographical tale of rockin’ and rollin’ throughout the years. Personally, I can’t get enough of the chorus in this tune…that alone would have sold me on this tune, but it’s also rad to have a bunch of killer guitar-work threaded into “Outside Looking In” to add even more spark to it.
You know…if you’re among those that still like to head down to the dance-floor in the more traditional sense, then I can see you shakin’ a little something to these tunes of Ivory’s. I never worry too much about tunes that aren’t exactly in lockstep with what’s currently circulating out there on the radio & such…the internet took care of that issue years ago, and now it’s just about pointing folks in the right places to look for the sounds they love most. Spike’s sound is still relevant…a track like “She Likes To Be Free” (Remix) ain’t all that far removed from stuff you’d hear in acts like the Counting Crows, or stuff you’d find from Pete Yorn, even though it’s more relatable to names you’d find further back in music’s history. It’s well-played music, and the sound is cohesive on Outside Looking In – people will always listen to tunes that are executed on a professional level, and Spike plays in that realm without a doubt.
What makes things tougher, is trying to figure out where to draw the line. You wanna rock in the sound & style you wanna rock in, but you also wanna be mindful of still contributing something new too, even if you might be working within the framework of a more dated vibe. It can be difficult to prove that Spike is doing that sometimes…like on the Petty-esque “Dry Your Eyes” as it begins. Where I feel like he comes out on top, is in the hooks of the chorus…the man clearly has a grip on what connects, and as I’ve said a million times on these pages of ours, one magical moment can carry the weight of an entire song. I really like the breakdown he includes on this tune, and I feel like the energy works in his favor too. I’m not quite as much of a fan of the backing vocals in this tune or where the vocals sit in the mix in general so far up on the surface, but that’s more of a personal taste thing. I could probably argue that another run through on the vocals could have given this track the polish it needs…but overall, I feel like “Dry Your Eyes” has the advantage of a genuinely addictive hook in its chorus that listeners will certainly seek out.
I look at it this way…right now, as Spike shifts from part to part in his songs, he’s largely relying on his voice to take us there based on the way these tunes are mixed. If he was a bit more sunken into the sound, he’d probably have a more balanced attack that would let the music be felt significantly too. Right now, as it stands, it feels like he’s carrying a lot of weight on his shoulders, and the best way to take some of that load off of’em, would be to get the music surrounding him up a little more and let its energy lead the way as songs surge from verse to chorus and back again, you know what I mean? The dude can clearly sing, but the musicianship & instrumentation might not be getting the proper credit for the role it’s playing in these songs as they’re currently mixed with the vocals up so far above the rest. Still, if you’re really giving it a listen, the material, skills, and chops are always there. Even on tracks that possess a lower-key energy to’em like “Two Hearts” still show us great things about what Spike creates, but I do feel like if the music had more of a presence or equal billing on the marquee, we’d probably feel like Ivory’s music was that much more of an immersive experience. Maybe that’s just me, maybe you’ll feel the same way – maybe Spike himself feels that way too – but yeah…it’s still good stuff to listen to, I guess what I’m saying is that when I’m listening to a track like “Two Hearts” I’m not always convinced that the vocals need as much of the spotlight as they get. Solos are one thing, and I’m grateful for the inclusion of those & moments like the breakdown of “Two Hearts” too, but there is more room for the music, and I feel like Spike’s efforts deserve to be recognized in that respect just as much as his vocals.
All that being said, it really does depend a little on who ya are, where you’ve come from, and how you listen to music. If you’re a musician, you’ll hear all the finer details that Spike has added to the music. If you’re the type of person that just wants something to sing along with, he’s ready and willing to supply. Like any artist or band out there, he’s got tunes you’ll have no problem responding to, and you’ll find a few along the way that reveal the natural ebb & flow to a lineup. “Are You Old Enough?” is probably that cut for myself personally…it’s a good tune, but I might have been tempted to cut this one for a record that’s already huge with fourteen songs in the set. That’s not me taking anything away from the writing or the execution, so much as it is just knowing what folks tend to respond to the most in how they listen to music. “Are You Old Enough?” ain’t slow enough to be a slow song, and it ain’t fast enough to be considered upbeat either…it’s in that deadly mid-tempo, which is usually where the court of public opinion wants to fight its biggest battles against what they’re hearing. That being said, I know how musicians work…they never wanna cut their favorite songs and have a hard time letting go of the material they work so tirelessly on – who could blame them for feeling that way? “Are You Old Enough?” is a good tune…I don’t know that it’s a great one, or that it holds up strong enough in comparison to a lot of the other material surrounding it on Outside Looking In, but it ain’t a bad song.
“Madness” seemed like it was going to be a solid rebound right away, presenting a classic sweetness to its sound that never really gets old. You can find vibes like this throughout the entire scope of music’s history from the 50s on up, straight through into acts I love like The LAs in the 90s, or Fountains Of Wayne…the list could go on and on, because it’s a genuinely timeless kind of charm we all respond to. Execution-wise…I’m a bit more tossed up on “Madness” – I probably like this track more for the ideas it has and the nostalgia it provides. Musically, I feel like Spike’s got this one dialed in, but I do feel like there were more than a few moments along the way where he could have gotten that much more out of his vocals and the sweetness inherent in the melody he’s written. It’s close enough that I shouldn’t complain, and I’m not really – I’d still put this up there with my favorite ideas on the record, even if I think that there’s a little bit left on the table for how it came out in the end in terms of its full potential.
What I really liked about “True Love Is Hard To Find” is that you can feel the difference in the way that it starts up, which provides a somewhat needed diversity to a sound that’s got a whole lot of similarities to it along the way throughout Outside Looking In. I was never all that sure of the pace it has if I’m being entirely honest with ya…the mellowness it’d present seemed like a perfect fit, but “True Love Is Hard To Find” has these like…more restless moments, where the drums probably get a bit busier than the song is calling out for, which felt like it created a bit of unevenness or a rushed feeling to half of this tune. I like Spike, don’t get me wrong…I think he’s got a Classic Rock vibe to him that will have no problem appealing to people out there listening…and I doubt there’s anything that he could do that’d totally turn me off or get me to stop listening, but like anyone out there, sure, he makes a few decisions that I’d question from time to time. As I always say around these parts, there are about five perfect albums with more than twelve songs on’em throughout the course of music’s history…and anytime where I feel like I’d be raising an eyebrow in wonder of something, I know I’m not alone. That’s usually my cue to get the scissors and cut a track outta the lineup in order to preserve the tightness of the rest around it.
“Don’t Hold Back,” he says! I’m pretty sure by this point in the review, he knows that I won’t. I always say what’s on my mind and I always call things like I hear’em…it’s just who I am, and how I feel like I’m able to best serve the musicians and artists that end up on these pages of ours. So…yeah…I guess I’m starting to feel like I have some concerns about the length of this lineup. Circling back to what I was saying before about how much extra weight Spike’s forcing himself to carry in the vocals, “Don’t Hold Back” is a perfect example of what I was getting at…it’s right there in the title/hooks of the chorus in this tune. When Ivory is singing “don’t…hold…back” – you wanna FEEL the punch in the music come through to support his vocals every bit as much, and it seems like that’s the spot where he’s not quite getting the oomph required to balance the relationship between the music and the vocals. If he was to go in that direction, which I’d imagine he would in a live setting from the stage, a track like “Don’t Hold Back” has the potential to be a genuine show stopper, or a real highlight towards the finale. As it stands, it comes through a bit thin where it should have the most impact in the hooks, but the idea itself is a golden one.
Where it gets a bit more concerning is on tracks like “Burning Up” that seem to be calling out for a more fired-up energy than they get. Don’t get it twisted – there are moments in this track that would put it right up there with my favorites on the record, but I still feel like there’s a gear Spike needed to shift into in order to get the maximum out of its potential. The main hooks for instance, seem a bit pale in comparison to how colorful the music itself comes through…I LOVE the solos in this song, and every moment that we get to spend with the instrumentation itself landed with the impact we all wanna hear. Between the verses being a bit too matchy-matchy with the music, and the chorus not quite possessing the barn-burning spark it feels like “Burning Up” should have, it feels like Spike’s kind of resting on the strengths of his songwriting on this song as opposed to attacking the moment with the full force he knows he should be. Musically, I think it’s freakin’ INSPIRED, and I love what I’m hearing in this song in that regard…vocally, he’s got some moments here and there that are a good fit, but I’m always in favor of going where the music takes ya, and “Burning Up” is calling out for Spike to bring the fire to the mic. Like – LISTEN to that keyboard solo will ya? That’s the kind of energy I feel like we would want this entire song to possess. Ivory opts for a smoother groove instead, which does still work…but yeah…I guess you can’t help but feel like there’s more opportunity in here to bring the heat to “Burning Up.”
Having said that, on the very next track, he’s willing to admit he’s just a “Regular Guy” – and I feel like we can all appreciate the humble sentiment of a song like this. Lest we forget, Spike’s been at this whole music thing for a long time at this point in his career – but that’s also the thing – it IS a career that he’s carved out for himself, and you can read all about how far he’s traveled throughout his touring and experiences playing for YOU. So…sure…perhaps he’s still a “Regular Guy,” but he’s a freakin’ superhero in my world. I don’t need to like or love every single song I ever hear from an artist or band to respect and appreciate how difficult it is to make music your career and leave the 9-5 behind. “Every night I’m playing my guitar at a different bar” as he’ll tell ya…and from the sounds of the lyricism on “Regular Guy,” he’s every bit as appreciative of the fact he’s been able to do what he does in this lifetime of his. There’s a grounded wisdom and genuine appreciation found throughout the course of this entire song; Spike’s articulated what it’s like to turn his dreams into his daily reality with truly impressive detail. So even if it was just that one aspect of “Regular Guy,” I’d be onboard with this tune…but I also think he’s got this cut stocked with another magnificent solo, and a real humble sweetness we can all rally around.
Between you, me, and the fencepost, he actually reminds me a lot of the way Doug Bennett used to sing when I’d go see my old man play in Doug And The Slugs back in the day. Overall, I think Spike’s kind of a cross between Bennett and Petty for the most part…but I feel that natural showman’s touch in the way he sings that’s a lot closer to what Doug used to do onstage. “I’m Amazed” is a solid song that highlights Ivory’s gift for songwriting and performance combined…you know he’s a seasoned veteran of the game when you listen to tracks like this one. It’s a bit of a deep cut in the sense that “I’m Amazed” probably isn’t gonna be the song that most folks respond to as quickly as some of the rest, but more-so it’s the song that’ll have people coming back to the record for another listen and grow on them progressively as they do. Some really great moments from the piano/keyboards on this tune as well. For the longest song to be found on Outside Looking In, I think it’ll get its due credit in time, even if that’s not as instant as it perhaps should be. Spike’s got a classic sound and he’s a quality songwriter…I don’t feel like people will miss any of that…those seeking out the kind of vibe he creates will really dig what he does overall.
A more straight-ahead approach to Rock ‘N Roll is rare to find out there in the scene these days. Everything you’ll find out there is a hyphenate of some kind…Indie-Rock, Blues-Rock, Alt-Rock – you get the idea…it’s rarer to find an artist that doesn’t feel the pressure to become too much of a hybrid. That being said, I think when you know the kind of sound you really wanna have, you end up with records like what Spike has created here with Outside Looking In, that give the people that love this kind of sound what they really want without compromise. For those listening that are on the Outside Looking In, I do recognize that it’s a bit of a commitment to hear a record that’s so stoic in terms of the sound it contains – like, even for myself personally, this album’s a bit lengthy and I could feel myself getting a little on the restless side from time to time, craving a bit more diversity. But that’s not on Spike, that’s on me…I’ve always been that way and was raised as a kid in a household that could be playing Beethoven in one minute and Nine Inch Nails in the next. To be truthful, I admire folks like Spike that know exactly what they want out of the music they make and stick to their script with this level of unwavering adherence. “Beat Of My Heart” might not be my favorite tune of the bunch, but I feel like it could certainly still be yours…Ivory has pretty much put every track in the conversation with the consistent level of dedication he’s brought to his performances throughout the course of this record, and he should be proud of that.
“Someone To Believe” brings down the energy just a touch to give Spike’s album the kind of conclusive feeling you wanna find at the end of a record, and I feel like the performance you’ll find in this last tune is also among the best in the lineup as well. Between the music and the vocals, I felt like that balance I’d been searching for is much more pronounced here, in all the right ways. So heck yeah, that’s a good note to finish things off on, ain’t it? He’s playing with purpose and intent…he’s still got another highlight guitar solo for ya in the mix as well…and the music really has that punch we wanna hear to give the song the dimension and depth the writing deserved. From the most intense moments of “Someone To Believe,” to its most delicate – Spike’s done an exceptional job of getting the most out of every ticking second in this last cut on Outside Looking In, and delivered this finale with the kind of professionalism that we know an established veteran of the music scene is capable of. All things considered, I think there is a good argument to be made that he finishes off this album on its very best song…I know that “Someone To Believe” would be right up there in my own list of favorites, and I bet it will be for you too.
Find out more about Spike Ivory from his official website at: https://spikeivory.com
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