 "Photo: Special to The Gamecock")
While listening to Ivy, one tends to think that it's from Europe instead of New York (except for singer Dominique Durand, who is French). Durand, along with her husband, Andy Chase, and Adam Sclessinger have always had an exquisite pop sound and melancholy lyrics that bring to mind indie pop group Stereolab. But in their latest, less guitar-driven work, "Long Distance," it wouldn't be out of context to compare them to such groups like French duo Air, The Cardigans, Black Box Recorder and Mono. But make no mistake, Ivy has its own sound.
Ivy has been around for quite a while. The band formed in 1993, and in 1994, it released its first EP, "Lately." This EP and the subsequent 1995 LP, "Realistic," got the attention of the British and American indie press. "Realistic" was mostly composed of guitar-driven pop songs adorned with the breezy voice of Durand, and recalls The Beatles and Velvet Underground. In 1998, Ivy released the acclaimed "Apartment Life," an album that continued in the same vein of "Realistic" but with a more mellow, compelling sound.
After a long break extended by the burning down and relocation of the band's studio and the birth of Chase and Durand's daughter, Ivy finally released its charming album "Long Distance." This album is less guitar-driven than the band's earlier work, yet it has a more mature sound without losing its pop sensibility.
The songs in this album are catchy pop songs with all the necessary ingredients combined in adequate doses. The melodies continue to be accessible and even a little more kitsch than those in the rest of their work, but they're definitely more mature. Also, the brilliant collaborations of James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) and trumpeter Eric Matthews make for an album that is melancholy, yet warm and inviting. Completing the excellence are lyrics about relationships growing colder and falling apart. These lyrics are very well-managed and chillingly interpreted by Durand's sensual voice.
The highlights of this album include the knavish "Disappointed," the melancholy "Worry About You," the bossa nova-esque "Let's Stay Inside" and the Stereolab-esque "Midnight Sun."
In short, Ivy is walking the right path. They promise to give a lot to 21st-century music.
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