[.ca] Guest Room

From Amazon.com:
Ivy's decision to stick entirely to covers on their fifth album probably has much to do with the pregnancy of chanteuse Dominique Durand. But despite the fact that the band members didn't write a single note, they have made the 10 songs collected here their own, giving offbeat classics from sources as disparate as brainy punsters Papas Fritas, Serge Gainsbourg, and Kate Bush Ivy's own sophisticated, moody spin. If you weren't familiar with Steely Dan's "Only a Fool Would Say That," you'd swear that Durand, guitarist Andy Chase, and bassist Adam Schlesinger cooked it in their New York studio, giving the mellow rocker heretofore unimagined elegance. This outstanding, intelligent collection makes one wonder why the band isn't more popular. --Jaan Uhelszki

Lush??:
After briefly hearing "Undertow" (from Long Distance) on a SciFi Channel repeat of the series Roswell, I was instantly hooked. I did a search for "Roswell music" on google and was rewarded with a couple of sites that listed music in each episode. I noted that Ivy was present more than a couple of times. The reason I was hooked? It sounded like Lush. Being a Lush-head from the beginning of their career, and lamenting their demise, I was entranced by the similarity of Ivy to Lush. I ended up purchasing all the Ivy I could find, and this is the first one to arrive at my door. I was not disappointed. If I was forced to compare this particular album to a Lush album I would say it is closest to Lovelife.... but it does have its differences, particularly since Guestroom is a bunch of cover songs of other groups. The first song, "Let's Go To Bed", a Cure song, hooked me right away. The rest reinforced the hooking, but including "I Don't Know Why I Love You" (Guy Chadwick), "Only a Fool Would Say That" (those Steely Dan guys!), "Be My Baby" (Phil Spector), and "I Guess I'm Just a Little Too Sensitive" (Edwyn Collins). I just cannot wait until the rest of these Ivy albums arrive! I have already listened to Guestroom 4 times in a row... bottomline--if you like Lush, you will find Ivy very pleasing.

Splendid!:
This album of covers is an absolute joy, like ice cream on a summer day. The sound is spacey, melodic, and just a little twee, without leaving a saccharine taste in your mouth. Ivy do such a good job interpreting other people's songs that you'd think they were the band's own if you didn't know otherwise.

Neat, but not up to par for IVY:
"Long Distance" is maybe my FAVORITE album of all time by any artist... Ivy set their standard so high with the catchiness and ultra-mod production of "Long Distance," that "GUEST ROOM" completely leaves me unsatisfied. Don't get me wrong, it is still a good album, and a must for Ivy fans, but I think it lacks the vibe and passion of other albums. Stylistically it is differnt too, with a much dryer, often generic sounding, electronic sound. Some great tracks, just not up to par in my opinion.

Ivy is a real treat!:
Ivy became one of my favorite groups the very first time I heard them. I have since purchased each of their four cds and they are no longer "one of" my favorites. They have the top spot! While I truly love their songrwiting skills, Guestroom (which consists of only covers) does not disappoint. Especially Ivy's rendition of "Kite" and "I Guess I'm Just A Little Too Sensitive". At the top of their game once again. I can't wait for their next cd, next five cds, next ten cds. I will be on a waitlist to get everything they put out.

Awesome, even better than I expected:
"Long Distance" quickly became my favorite album, and now "Guest Room" is spending a great deal of time in my CD player as well. I quickly became enthralled with this groups sophisticated style and they certainly didn't disappoint with "Guest Room". The only one of these songs I recall being previously familiar with was "Be My Baby", and what a surprise to hear the ethereal sound that Ivy gives to it. Plus -- what an awesome surprise, if you think Dominque Durand sounds wonderful singing in English, what an impressive surprise to hear her singing in French on "L' Anamour". I only became familiar with Ivy's music relatively recently, and it couldn't have come at a better time. I've desperately needed something to soothe my soul and make me smile, and this group's music does it like nothing else can. I wish I could rate it higher than 5 stars!

• Let's Go to Bed
• Kite
• Say Goodbye
• Streets of Your Town
• I Don't Know Why I Love You
• Only a Fool Would Say That
• Digging Your Scene
• L'Anamour
• Be My Baby
• I Guess I'm Just a Little Too Sensitive