Ivana just emailed me two songs that she said were recorded “10 hours ago” (making that yesterday afternoon). This is the first of the pair, its twin to follow sometime this week. I hesitate to call it my favorite song she’s recorded since there are others that usually get stuck in my head, but I will say that her songs are starting to hit from all angles and this one is nearing a KO. Plus the outro is really great.

MP3: Ivana XL – Always Tell the Truth
“Always Tell the Truth,” in title alone, sounds like something your mother might have told you growing up — honesty is important in a household. It is, however, more of a polite disertation from a girlfriend-figure to all of mankind about her feelings. It’s not cruel or threatening, but more exploratory — as most most of Ivana’s songs usually wind up being. Lines like “One for the mind and one for the rest / this is what’s called being loved to death” make me think more and more that Ivana XL might be Regina Spektor’s long-lost, slightly depressing sister.

Ivana XL on Myspace