Iress rose to prominence when they published their album Flaw a few years ago, and they now have plans for releasing their new EP, Solace. The first example, Ricochet, is a very heavy and dark shoegazer which is drenched in melancholy and features excellent guitar work and lovely vocals. Frontwoman Michelle Malley says: "I feel emotional every time I sing ‘Ricochet’. I started writing it a couple years back during a really rough time in my life. When the band got their hands on it, it really transformed into something powerful. It’s a song about loss and anguish and the journey to self discovery and acceptance."
[AUDIO ELECTICA] Band Of The Week: IRESS
There is something to be said about finding beauty in darkness. In this case it’s found within the band Iress. The moment I heard this band, I knew there was something more to it than just a “dark/moody vibe.” What I found was a band that sonically devastates while at the same time draws you in seductively. Iress derives their name from two concepts that when put together perfectly describes what this band is all about; Ire, as in fury, indignation, rage, and wrath and -ess as a noun suffix meaning “female”. Now that combination has been recorded and now gearing up to be unleashed upon us all.
[DESTROY//EXIST] Iress: Ricochet
One of the most anticipated returns in the world of heavy shoegaze and beyond, finally starts to unfold, as Los Angeles-based doomgazers, Iress, deliver their killer new track, Ricochet. The song is the first reveal off the band's upcoming EP, Solace, arriving on May 12th, 2023 from the eclectic roster of Dune Altar.
[BLOODY DISGUSTING] Doomgazers Iress Crush With New Single “Ricochet” [Listen]
[BUZZBANDS.LA] Premiere: IRESS, ‘Ricochet’
L.A. quartet IRESS is the sound of a tsunami approaching, in slow motion, massive but carrying a tune, freighted with impending doom but also with a sense of wonder. Not quite metal, or shoegaze, or slowcore, but a cathartic brew of those genres.
[BLURRED CULTURE] Iress Teases Fans With New Music At The Echo
LOS ANGELES, CA- I’ve opined about this on multiple occasions, but Michelle Malley’s voice is otherworldly. It’s one thing to sound good on a studio recording, but she’s equally- if not more- amazing live. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten chills listening to her longingly wail into the microphone. Even when I know it’s coming, I get that tingling down my spine and the few hairs I have on my arms prick up a bit. I mean … I KNOW when those glissandos are coming in “Next”, but every time I hear them, it’s like a virgin experience.
[Heavy Blog Is Heavy] POST ROCK POST // OCTOBER 2020
Iress – Flaw (doomgaze/slowcore)
What better time for some strong new doomgaze, seeing as we are basically gazing at our own doom on a daily basis here in the States. Los Angeles’ Iress hits a really engaging sweet spot somewhere between the crushing, smoky drone of Tunnel Blanket, the mysticism of Holy Fawn, and the powerful vocal performance of Emma Ruth Rundle and Chelsea Wolfe. Had I not discovered the release of that Giants EP, this would have been my longer review this month. But please consider this essential listening, and if you want to get an immediate sense for it, check out the penultimate track “Wolves,” which is a legit stunner.
[BLURRED CULTURE] MICHELLE MALLEY PRESENTS IRESS SOLO AND EMOTIONS RUNNETH OVER
[HEAVY BLOG IS HEAVY] POST ROCK POST // 2020 IN REVIEW
Flaw, Iress’s sophomore album and first since 2015, has all the feeling of a true debut both in production and performance. It comes across as a fully-formed package that follows in the footsteps of acts like Windhand while putting their own dreamy and fluid spin on it. It’s difficult to listen to tracks like “Nest” and “Underneath” and not simply be swept under by the force of Malley’s voice and the powerful nature of their compositions. For A.A. Williams, Forever Blue is truly her first full-length, following her impressive 2019 self-titled debut EP. Williams’s music takes a somewhat more cinematic and dramatic approach, featuring plenty of piano and strings alongside heavy guitars and bass, which made her a perfect fit to collaborate with Mono for a 10” late 2019. Forever Blue mostly continues the promise of that early work and delivers in stunning fashion. Delicate passages of acoustic guitar and piano effortlessly give way to momentous bouts of energy as Williams constantly plucks at the heartstrings before occasionally going in for an emotional gut punch.
[BROOKLYN VEGAN] Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins, Lost Horizons) lists his Top 10 LPs of 2020
SIMON RAYMONDE'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2020
Told Slant “Point the flashlight and walk”
Gilroy Mere “Adlestrop”
African Head Charge “Off The Beaten Track”
Lee Scratch Perry “Heavy Rain”
Jo Johnson and Hilary Robinson “Antenna Echoes”
Gwenifer Raymond “Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain”
Iress “Flaw”
Seasurfer “Zombies
Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou “May Our Chambers Be Full”
Sacred Paws “Run Around The Sun”