Billboard reckon Nashville based singer songwriter Ivory Layne is the new Adele. Do we even need a new Adele? Did e need the old one? She my have shifted millions upon millions of units, but apart from ‘Rollin’ in the Deep’ how many songs does she have, at least that are familiar to the masses? I’ve heard more about her weight loss lately than her music, although that’s an indictment on the press rather than Adele of course.
Call me cynical, but I can’t help but suspect that ‘the intimate and candid ‘December’, Ivory’s UK debut single, which was produced by Nick Atkinson and Edd Holloway (Lewis Capaldi, James Bay) is destined for success by virtue of her having signed with Justin Timberlake’s artist development company, Villa 40.
‘December’ is pretty average: the production is slick, with that on-vogue muffled percussion thumping about in the background behind Ivory’s vocal that swoop and soar, and she has a tendency to chew her words in the way Ronan Keating does. But it’s not only radio-friendly, but also the kind of song that’s going to be all over Christmas ads on TV by October. Better get ready for it.
