New York trio Ivy's lyrical and musical influences shine through ten well-executed covers (which remain close to the originals), highlighting the sweet and melancholy vocals of French singer Dominique Durand and backed by the jangly guitars of multi-talented musician/producer (Tahiti 80) Andy Chase and melodic bass of Fountains of Wayne co-founder Adam Schlesinger.
The songs they cover are close to Ivy's own brand of sophisticated and bittersweet pop, including the Cure's "Let's Go to Bed", Nick Heyward's "Kite" and the House of Love's "I Don't Know Why I Love You," which in particular reflects Durand'a writing on songs such as "Lucy Doesn't Love You" on their previous album The Long Distance.
Their cover of Australian band The Go-Betweens's classic "The Street of Your Town" is particularly catchy and memorable, while also reminding us of a band that has often been overlooked and forgotten. "Digging Your Scene" (also found on Long Distance) is a delightfully kitschy cover of the Blow Monkey's song, which reflects the band's more playful side. Also, included on Guestroom is a beautifully wistful cover of the Orange Juice's song "I Guess I'm Just a Little Too Sensitive" from their early EP Lately.
Though some of the tracks on this album have been released elsewhere, the collection is an excellent bunch of songs that highlight Ivy's influences as well as their talent in producing a lovely memorable sound.
Ivy Guestroom
