Establishing the mood with an intricate guitar soundscape and subtle kick drum, Mark Moule opens Eyes of Izzy with poetic prowess and a narrative, as he sings, “Here there’s a tale worth telling, about a boy from Russia with love, his fate had him passing through the Holy Land, without help from the heaven’s above…”
The opus expands with intentional depth and a banjo as Mark conveys the tale of Izzy Orlof, who was a pioneering photographer credited in the story with introducing the camera to Western Australia.
On the surface it comes across as historical storytelling, tracing Izzy’s journey and legacy, but we learn that the prose is also shaped by Mark Moule’s own emotional state at the time of writing. Mark tells us how he was going through turbulent period of isolation, work on remote mine sites, and the strain of being a single dad. These personal experiences seep into the lyrics, so the song becomes a blend of biography and autobiography with deep-rooted authenticity. We are in awe.
There is no doubt that Eyes of Izzy holds a cinematic allure, and would be perfect for a film like the Oscar-winning One Battle After Another, or perhaps Australia, Tracks, or Lion because of its mix of storytelling, isolation and struggle.
As for its sonic design, Eyes of Izzy track was recorded in Fremantle and is a collaboration between Mark Moule and Paul Curtis. It began about a decade earlier as a university project focused on Izzy Orlof, developed by Curtis, who was studying and using the song as part of his coursework. Moule came in as the lyricist, whilst Curtis shaped the academic concept into a recorded piece. Fans of Bob Dylan‘s Hurricane would be able to connect with the arc of the song, and the depth that the creators manifest both musically and lyrically.
Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added Eyes of Izzy to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Mark Moule, including Only Love, and Killer, and anticipate future releases.