In the Clear | Ivy | a true breath of fresh air in this stale musical landscape

In the Clear | Ivy | Amazing lounge music

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In the Clear

	In the Clear Ivy Nettwerk Records, 2005 average customer review:based on 27 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The growing, if belated, popularity of Ivy is a happy event. Over the course of a half-dozen releases, the band has married slightly trippy atmospherics to immaculate popcraft and the melancholy vocals of Paris-born Dominique Durand. In the Clear, their fifth album, finds the guitars occasionally louder (they roil and distort on the kiss-off "Clear My Head") but the mood essentially the same. It?s a romantic, cautiously hopeful one, exemplified by the disc?s closing "Feel So Free." Special and secretive--"Tess Don?t Tell" repeatedly insists "It?s just for you, it?s not for anybody else"--In the Clear thrives on trademark Ivy contradictions and, now and then, an unexpected noise in the corners of the sound. --Rickey Wright

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a true breath of fresh air in this stale musical landscape

Ivy are an indie pop/rock band based in New York. Their members are French accented singer Dominique Durand who has a soft velvety voice and New Yorker rockers Adam Schlesinger (of Fountains of Wayne) and Andy Chase (of Brookville). If you saw the movie "Shallow Hal" chances are you heard their pop songs throughout the film.

In The Clear is their latest recording and it is their most polished release to date. Ivy have a talent for mixing upbeat rock tracks with sensitive bittersweet pop melodies. Their music this time around is comprised of more drums and louder dominant guitars, giving the album a more Live sound and less moody vibe than say their previous more electronic oriented album Long Distance. The tempo is also faster and more energetic this time around similar to their covers album Guestroom. If one tried to compare their songs to any other bands, the closer they could come up with would be Saint Etienne, The Cardigans and tempo-wise The Cure mixed all together. Sophisticated carefree tunes with an undercurrent about troubled relationships make up their repertoire. It's a well produced album from beginning to end with the tempo getting a bit mellower in the end.

The album starts off with a sonic & starry piece called "Nothing But The Sky" where Dominique's vocals just float dreamily along the soft guitar & keyboard sounds. Next up is the album's first single "Thinking About You" a fast paced rock song that has a strong retro quality to it, a bit like a bouncy sixties song, that is followed by Disco infused "Keep Moving", a song that combines a subtle disco-dance tune along with more retro rock sounds. Similarly "I've got you memorized" combines these disco electronic elements with loud electric guitars blending in and out of the song. What really binds everything together so effortless is the simple sing along lyrics and Dominique's sweet accented singing style, she's just perfect for these compositions. Not dramatic, not overpowering, but rather breathy, softly cool and confident. "Corner Of Your Mind" a hyper party rock song blended with sweet pop that just doesn't get any better than this.

The moodier songs in this album are the real stunners, their lyrics express a feeling of uncertainty and longing. On "Four In The Morning" for example, a track that should win you from just one listen, the lyrics speak for themselves, "Four in the morning and I got that feeling, clocks ticking but my heart's not ticking, eyes open and I'm staring at the ceiling, tell me that you'll leave and give me something to believe in", making this quintessentially an insomniac's anthem and the deepest song in the album. "Ocean City Girl" has a main character that is fading in the ocean and the scenery where the sleepy vocals and the soft sounds bring to the surface the sense of tranquility and longing the song is expressing. Similarly "Feel So Free" is all about escape and freedom, with a chorus and acoustic guitars mixing with relaxed soft indie rock sounds.

It's hard to categorize Ivy, one moment they are a pop band with one track, then a rock band with another, then more electronic or accoustic, but what matters is that they produce amazing pop songs and memorable melodies and they are one of the best Indie bands to come out of New York. Sexy, sophisticated, bittersweet and well-produced airy songs that blur the lines of rock and pop and should delight fans of good pop music, they definitely shouldn't go unnoticed. Give them a spin and discover for yourselves one of pop music's most underrated and talented bands.

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Amazing lounge music

Ivy is the kind of band that really makes you wish you discovered earlier. They have a unique and catchy sound, without the saccharine taste of pop. In the Clear was the album that introduced me to the band, and I was amazed at how comfortable and relaxing the music is. Some songs worth noting is.. Thinking about You, Clear My Head, although all the songs are great. Try their other albums if you like this one, I can't believe how great the quality is for every one of their songs. Sometimes I wonder why they aren't more famous.

Sweet and Perfect

Ivy certainly has a very different sound than most pop bands of today. And even though they are one of the best pop bands around, it's sad to see them not getting the recognition they deserve. As far as this album goes, I think it's one of their top two albums (the other one being "Long Distance"). It has a sound that is cool and fresh, sweet and dreamy. Even though it's pop and all the songs are about love and relationship (mostly break ups), this is NOT your average pop music. It has some very catchy tunes, intelligent song-writing, great vocals (can't praise Dominique Durand's voice enough) and overall, a very unique sound. It's impossible to dislike these songs, or any of Ivy's music for that matter. There is a lot of passion underlying the poppish surface of the songs. The songs in this album are more upbeat compared to "Long Distance", but have that typical Ivy sound. It's hard to pick the best tracks. For me they are "Nothing But The Sky" (mesmerizing), "Thinking About You", "Four In The Morning", "Clear My Head" and "Feel So Free" (that's half of the total number of tracks :) You will find your own favorites. Just put the CD in, hit the 'play' button and you will feel sweetness flowing everywhere. This is highly addicting music.

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The best CD I bought in 2007

If you like music, BUY THIS CD. RIGHT NOW. Seriously. This is the best music I've heard all year. I've listened to it over and over and just love it more every time. If you like bands like Zero 7 or Fountains of Wayne or Imogen Heap, you are likely to like this. If not, probably not.

I admit it, I discovered Ivy late. And I've only gotten 2 of their CDs, "In the Clear" and "Guestroom". I found Guestroom to be OK, but not all that outstanding. But In the Clear is a classic. Do yourself a favor. Buy this music.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Tracks
Nothing But The Sky | Thinking About You | Keep Moving | Tess Don't Tell | Four In The Morning | Corners Of Your Mind | Clear My Head | I've Got You Memorized | Ocean City Girl | Feel So Free

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