Note: This review previously appeared in the Illinois Entertainer.
All Hours is the first CD in six years from Ivy, the trio that lets Adam Schlesinger swap the power pop jangle of Fountains Of Wayne for techno beats and European chic. Schlesinger and Andy Chase play a variety of instruments, and while French-born vocalist Dominique Durand isn’t likely to belt out tunes ala Adele, her smooth delivery gives Ivy a sophisticated allure.
The opening track, “Distant Lights,” signals the band’s decision to take a more keyboards-oriented approach to songwriting this time out. The pulsating synthesizers bring the song perilously close to disco, but the haunting melody and Durand’s echo-laden vocals keep things interesting. “You Make It So Hard” harks back to the days when Ivy adroitly blended techno and power pop elements, while the more playful “Suspicious” is one of several songs on All Hours that depicts a dubious relationship. A few tracks, like “World Without You” come across as generic, but it’s still great to have Ivy chilling in the lounge again.
No comments:
Post a Comment