7/10

New Orleans may not have been clamouring for a maximalist, prog-inflected, indie-psych outfit, but it sure needed one. Enter Olivia Valentine, a band that thrives on intricacy, unpredictability, and a fearless commitment to bending genre lines. Following the ambition of their 2023 album 'Reverberations', the band now continue their upward ascent with 'The Couch Cushion EP', a five-track expedition through rich textures, shifting moods, and evocative songwriting.

The EP, crafted in the band’s own studio June’s Beehive, and meticulously mastered by Piper Payne (Madame Gandhi, Ray Cooper), is a showcase of Olivia Valentine’s evolving dynamic. What began as a studio project led by Philip Korosec and Geoff Hrabar has grown into a full-fledged five-piece with bassist Larissa Dietzel, multi-instrumentalist Thomas Dietzel, and drummer Daniel Bishop rounding out the line-up.

Opening track 'And Now Just Be 'encapsulates the EP’s dynamic spirit as a brooding, shape-shifting composition infused with Britpop sensibilities. Penned during the stillness of lockdown, the song finds inspiration in the meditative existence of pond creatures, resulting in a dark yet strangely serene journey. In contrast, the next offering 'Ride' injects a burst of brightness into the EP, channelling The Cars with bouncy synths and crisp guitar lines in an ironically uplifting elegy to Hrabar’s late dog.

Lead single 'Records Back' exudes vintage cool, blending shimmering guitars, analogue synths, and brass flourishes in a way that feels effortless yet deeply layered. While 'Love Is Not' pays subtle homage to Doug Martsch with expansive guitars that teeter between longing and defiance, with closing track 'Tangerine Sofa' sinking into lush, ghostly soundscapes, its spectral layers echoing a deeply personal narrative of addiction and loss.

'The Couch Cushion EP' is both a love letter to sprawling, exploratory indie-rock and a testament to the band’s commitment to creative autonomy. “Our goal is to make music on our own terms,” Korosec explains. Mission accomplished. With a vinyl release on the horizon, Olivia Valentine are cementing themselves as an essential piece of the New Orleans underground scene, one that feels like it was always meant to be there.