“Throw Me Into The Pool” by Izzy Outerspace

When I heard Izzy Outerspace’s debut album Amazon, I was totally blown away. Out of total obscurity, this singer/songwriter unleashes a powerhouse performance like it’s second nature, and in her new single “Throw Me into the pool,” Izzy Outerspace demonstrates more of the organic qualities that won her massive critical approval just last year. There’s nothing particularly nostalgic about “Throw Me into the pool,” but the track nonetheless bears an almost autumnal feel that I would liken to a retrospective ballad, only its narrative looks forward rather than back. Melding elaborate poetic subtext with a shimmering instrumental backdrop that falls short of the forced pastoral sound so many of her contemporaries are utilizing right now, this player proves she’s no one-hit-wonder in this unforgettable new cut. 

I got chills from this vocal harmony the first time I sat down with the song, but it isn’t the only rhapsodic component of the material. Whether it’s the bones of the track or the rebellious stylization of the delivery, Izzy Outerspace is clearly going out of her way to distinguish her brand of weird from the stereotypical alternative rock look critics dismissed as outdated as far back as a decade ago (though some have hopelessly tried to revive it in recent years). She’s her own artist, and here, we’re getting her desire to break away from the pack in virtually every angle “Throw Me into the pool” contains; starting of course with the venomous tone of her lyrics. 

The music video upholds many of the same aesthetical standards its source material does, but with one crucial difference; its imagery isn’t steeped in such an experimental construct that we’re unable to grasp the underlying story Izzy Outerspace is trying to tell. She knows her limits, and though she’s undisputedly operating at full capacity in this release, she isn’t exaggerating her presence to do it. That sort of amateurishness is beneath her, and if that were ever going to be up for debate ahead of “Throw Me into the pool,” I think it’s going to be completely off the table now. Her precision is marvelous, but not nearly as much as her actual vision is – which is essentially why this single feels so much bigger than the five minutes and change it runs. 

If you’re not already listening to Izzy Outerspace, you need to get into her sound via “Throw Me into the pool” this June. Untethered to an alternative rock underground more intrigued by reexaminations of the old school than they are exploring the aesthetical hybridity that lies on the other side of tomorrow, Izzy Outerspace isn’t even pretending to have a kinship with the mainstream model in this track; quite the contrary, if I’m being honest. She’s jettisoning away from the status quo in the name of making something wholly expressive, and in the realm of indie music, hers remains one of the most endearing sounds I’ve had the opportunity to review in the past year or so. All in all, I would say “Throw Me into the pool” is an amazing way of getting acquainted with her artistry.

Mindy McCall