Until work began on iron mountain, the follow-up to 2022’s Animus EP, LA-based singer-songwriter Emma Ayzenberg sought some much-needed catharsis. Formerly known as Emma Ayz, the independent artist took the time between Animus and iron mountain to assemble a band of musicians in LA; the members had worked with everyone from Angel Olsen and Perfume Genius to St. Vincent and Miya Folick.
Compared to previous music, iron mountain is undoubtedly the result of a group effort led by Ayzenberg. But when listening closely to the songwriting, often surrounded by delicately strung together instruments and a foggy atmosphere, Ayzenberg’s voice and lyrics reveal themself to be the impetus of iron mountain’s success.
On “lucile,” acoustic and electric guitars fight for dominance over Ayzenberg, who recounts an abusive relationship that still haunts her. The repetition of “My body is mine” comes from the scars of the vivid memories, with the cinematic strings in the background helping visualize the specific yet dreamy details in the storytelling. Despite exploring a darker subject, “lucile” shares more similarities with songs like “hero” than something entirely somber, showing how much Ayzenberg has grown.
“count the dreams” is the peak of iron mountain, where lingering gray clouds from the past lift up and let Ayzenberg shine as a singer-songwriter. On top of encapsulating the EP’s overarching theme with the opening lyric, “What if the way I stay is always changing,” the gentle piano and subtle synthesizer stand out amid the string arrangements and guitars used throughout. The song is also the brightest, serving as Ayzenberg’s triumphant “love song to queerness.”
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While Animus saw Ayzenberg becoming more comfortable with herself, iron mountain is her realizing who she is and openly expressing herself through her music, to liberating results. Although iron mountain comes in at just four tracks, it takes you on a complete journey of healing and reconciling rather than defeat.
“My growth as a musician and person while crafting these songs felt like a very entangled, creative process,” she said. “I explored so many psychological themes both in terms of the actual song’s topics, and in the patience it took from me to take the songs to completion.”
Words: David Sosa
iron mountain by Emma Ayzenberg is out on streaming services. For more on new music and live shows, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and Bandcamp.
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