“Super 7 is classic folk pop that is instantly accessible and undeniably catchy. Ivan Campo’s simplistic songs hit the mark every time. Opening track ‘The Great Procrastinator’ possesses a melody that is so familiar that somehow you can sing along to it even if it’s the first time you’ve heard it. Any maudlin elements are cancelled out by a beautiful vocal and gently chiming xylophone. It’s their strong sense of melody that pervades this album and makes Ivan Campo such a promising proposition. ‘The Lotus Eater’ bounces along with little more than a neat hook, a tambourine and some cracking backing vocals. ‘Darling Diva’ steals from The Kinks but gets away with it scot free by delivering the whole thing with a sunny charm and the clever use of a Casio watch as percussion. Their best moment comes with ‘The Girl I Thought I Saw’ which drops the sunny disposition for a couple of minutes and allows the poignant lyrics room to breathe right into your ear.”
“With their umpteenth self-release out on March 30th, this drumless trio of guitar wielding minstrels has honed their sound and found solid gold beneath their feet. 'Super 7' is an outstanding folk-infused mini-album containing seven ethereal and unpretentious experiments in heartfelt wonder. Frequently surreal yet always emotive, their simple melodies drench this record with an engagingly grainy nostalgia, subjects dark and light bathed in the dappled sunshine of misspent youth and crowned with understated harmonies. The charming homemade music videos on their myspace site are also well worth a gander. 9/10”
“A summery assortment of tunes that might just get us through the current cold spell. Delicate acoustic strumming powers ‘The Great Procrastinator’, the musical equivalent of a leisurely walk along the promenade. ‘Lotus Eater’ is a little bit Coral like. ‘The Girl I thought I Saw’ is a splendid ditty whilst ‘The Curse’ a gentle harmony soaked song, is the pick of the EP. It’s such an easy listen, to the extent that it releases a becalming elixir from the speakers that intoxicates, and induces light-headedness. To quote one of Ivan Campo’s influences, esteemed novelist Haruki Murakami – “Mediocrity is like a spot on your shirt, it never comes off.” From the evidence presented on Super 7 it is paramount that Ivan Campo continues to remain topless”.
- Audio Scribbler
"With Ivan Campo, foot tapping may spontaneously occur. Their songs are sweetly cute one minute (The Curse), and breezily folky the next (The Lotus Eater). Darling Diva is a rambling love song that takes the musical equivalent of a happy stroll down a beach with its loved one, but something isn't quite as rosy as it seemed - "Something just doesn't quite add up / I smell a rat. Despite coming from the North West, their sound is also summery, warm and intoxicating."
- A New Band A Day
"This swells with delightful sunshine calypso and it’s easy to listen again and again and again. 'Lotus Eater', with its Merseybeat bounce, is straight off the set of 'Ready Steady Go', while the foot-tapping twang of 'Rat Race' ambles off up I Am Kloot street, and then there is the gentle shimmering plinky-plonk of 'The Curse'. If you need a peg to hang your coat on, it lands them in territory occupied by near neighbours The Coral, as does 'Darling Diva', which is just lovely, and it's alarm clock percussion is a delight on a stick. There's that proper off-kilter sensibility, they also have a quite brilliant knack for a tune, and the kind of soul only bands from the North West seem able to muster."
- My New Favourite Band
"Ivan Campo continue to define and refine their northern folk pop with this engaging mini-album of merry ballads and refreshingly re-invented Mersey sounds, coupled to swaying, high flying lightly embossed melodies. Ivan Campo are a thoroughly engaging band with a subtle blend of acoustic and electric guitars, smoothly married to svelte harmonies and swooning tales of life, love and northern charm – what better a mix? The opening gem ‘The Great Procrastinator’ is all of these things; ‘The Curse’ trips with a lighter flair but it has to be ‘The Girl I Think I Thought I Saw’ that comes close to their defining moment."
- Manchester Music
“Ivan Campo brings an eclectic mix of songs, instruments and lulling northern vocals. The influences of the band are obviously far flung; there are elements of The Coral, Arcade Fire and classic harmony drenched music like Beach Boys and Beatles. ‘The Great Procrastinator’ which opens the EP contains some lovely vocals, ‘The Curse’ contains interesting instrumentation and nice harmonies, offering a positive slice of summer pop. ‘Rat Race’ and ‘Darling Diva’ are both very reminiscent of the 50s and 60s. The last track on the album ‘The B&B’ is a wonderful way to sum up the album - as a breezy piece of summer love.”
- Die Shellsuit Die
"This isn’t just folk fodder of love and loss; the band are eclectic, bordering on the absurd, and the results combine lo-fi, sun drenched harmonies with playful lyrics and mix it with interweaving melodies. They shirk their 60s White Album sensibilities by adding a touch of 2009 to most tracks with strange and wonderful percussion. 'The Great Procrastinator' borders on beauty, ‘Lotus Eater’ could actually be the Coral, but they come into their own with The White Album influenced ‘The Curse’, and the playful lullaby ‘Rat Race’. The best tracks come at the end, with ‘The Girl I Thought I Saw’ and ‘The B&B’. It does feel like a dream; weird, often wonderful but uneasy also; and if these boys find their feet, watch this space."
- Music Magazine
“Each song on the EP are mini-epics of love, and loss, and love again, redemption and chord changes made all the more effective by Ivan Campo's resolutely laid-back jazzy acoustics. ‘The Great Procrastinator’ is as light and breezy as a morning spent busking around the cafes of some Mediterranean beach resort. 'Lotus Eater' is almost a real Beatles song, while 'The Curse' somehow recalls Clearlake's 'It's Getting Light' although without that songs escalated sense of drama. Ivan Campo may favour maracas and xylophones but the band aren't trad revivalists, rather lounge bar sophisticates. Unlike other acoustic enthusiasts Ivan Campo are an altogether slicker proposition, whose guitars are kept in proper cases and whose fur has a definite sheen.”
- Tasty Fanzine
