SINGLE REVIEW: Iona Summer – Over It Now

For many artists, the release of an EP would perhaps be where they tie up their release plans for the year. For Glasgow’s Iona Summer, that is far from the case. Earlier this year, Summer released ‘Maryhill‘, a cinematic indie-pop collection of songs that grappled with identity, class, sexism, and youth; it made for a deeply enjoyable listen that felt like the perfect proper introduction to Summer as a person, not just an artist. However, perhaps in celebration of her recent graduation from the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, Summer has elected to gift listeners with a ‘summer bop‘ that she originally wrote during her first year of studies.

Being simplistic does not automatically make something lesser, and ‘Over It Now‘ is indicative of this. Far from the darker themes and ambitious instrumentals of her EP, this is a breezy, playful break-up song that sees Summer as being well and truly done with your shit. Acoustic strumming bounces atop of buoyant rhythms, whilst bright vocal harmonies almost give the track a distinctly doo-wap feel. Clippings of laughter and general joviality really adds to the carefree feeling that the track endeavours to conjure up; you can truly imagine this being Summer and her friends having a fantastic time at a local bar, leaving you to realise that you well and truly fumbled this relationship.

Summer herself is, as is always the case with her songs, a star presence, with her distinctive Glaswegian lilt adding so much charm and character to the track. Her melodies carry a certain bluesy nature to them that are particularly apparent during the slower paced bridge segment of the track. Exuding something of a soft swagger, Summer shows you what you missed out on without ever having to go out of her way to do so.

Given Summer’s history with this track, and her recently graduated status, ‘Over It Now‘ ends up feeling like not only a celebration of where she has come from as a musician, but the perfect conclusion to the opening chapter of her career. Her choice to include this as a separate release from ‘Maryhill‘ feels warranted, with the track’s tone, musicality, and style all feeling distinct from Summer’s other material; her capacity to tell stories in a varied and captivating manner may well take her far.

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