Ivan Beecroft – Whatever – Album Review
Australia’s Ivan Beecroft continues to chart his experience and discontent with the working world. Fleshing out a full production after his “Believe” release earlier this year, there’s a big evolution from him coming into his full record. Working his own production, there may be a lack of polish in places but its earnest delivery makes it feel like it wouldn’t work any other way.
Moving away from the brighter production of his last release, the grittier tones are much more present on the guitar tones of “Sleepwalker” as the album starts with a huge intensity. The composition also sees more tension building tricks with tracks like “Say It To My Face” and “You Can’t Take My Soul” as he stands up to authority with albeit very on the nose lyrics. “Got a Reputation” echoes this as well but leans into a more pop-rock tone to make it feel a little more natural and fitting.
“She Said” and “Believe” introduce more piano into the mix for a heavy stomp-driven rock sound, but despite their lyrical differences, come off a little to samey, especially back-to-back on the record. With a deeper lyrical complexity however “How Do You Sleep At Night” takes a more vague storytelling approach, while “Broken Wing” is more personal but sonically ambitious.
Echoing a dreamy look back at his life “Ordinary Man” is one of the most rich sounding tracks on the record through its myriad of keyboards, while simplifying things down quite a bit lyrically. “Lost Child” does find Beecroft’s usual vocal effects seeming a bit out of place on the mostly acoustic track, but the sense of majesty he brings in the larger-than-life emotion of the track is truly exciting. Building slowly with a string section, “One Last Goodbye” is the most emotionally powerful track on the record, really feeling like the most mature track Beecroft has released to date.