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W.A.R.?
Records/At-Source
The Innocence Mission made a mild splash in 1989 with
their self-titled A&M debut album and its semi-hit single, “Black Sheep
Wall”…but that was, obviously, quite some time ago.
Karen Paris and company have, however, continued to fight the good fight
and release albums (including an album of religious songs in 2000, done as a
charity endeavor) on the independent circuit.
Although Small Planes is a collection of songs that didn’t make the cut for
the band’s previous two albums (Glow
and Birds In My Neighborhood), you’d
never know it to listen to it. Paris’s
voice is as quiet and delicate as ever, with reference points ranging anywhere
from Kate Bush to Joni Mitchell to Natalie Merchant. Like the Innocence Mission’s previous releases, Small
Planes is a perfect rainy day album. It
can be used to chill out and take a nap, or it can be used as an innocuous aural
backdrop when one’s trying to concentrate at work but still wants to hear some
music playing. Some might use the
phrases as insults, but, in this context, they should be taken as high praise.
Nettwerk
Although Adam Schlesinger has made far more of a name
for himself as part of the Fountains of Wayne (not to mention as an independent
songwriter and producer), he’s been a part of Ivy for longer. The band’s
last album, Apartment Life, was an
instant classic, despite being released on two different labels without any hint
of commerical success on either. Somewhere
between Saint Etienne and Portishead, Ivy often explores trip-hop territory but
without ever leaving behind their interest in a good pop hook. Vocalist Dominque
Durand sings in English, but there’s always a hint of her French accent,
giving her a particularly exotic and unique sound. “Disappointed,” “One
More Last Kiss,” and “Lucy Doesn’t Love You” are highlights of the
record. The last track, a cover of the Blow Monkeys’ “Digging Your Scene,”
pays tribute to a lost classic of the ‘80’s without sacrificing Ivy’s own
sound. It’s a highlight of the album without coming off as a desperate attempt
for a hit, like, say, Save Ferris’s cover of “Come On Eileen.”
Long Distance doesn’t have the same immediacy as its predecessor,
but, after a few listens, it becomes evident that it’s a real grower, one with
the potential to be just as much of a classic.
Minty
Fresh
Doing a covers album is a challenge (a rite of passage,
really) that almost every musician or group takes on in their career, some more
successfully than others...so breathe a sigh of relief and know that Ivy’s Guest
Room is one of the best in recent memory.
After taking a gander at the track listing, quite a few people...most of
them in their early ‘30s...will be wondering if the band’s members have been
sneaking into their bedrooms at night to check out their CD collections. Former college radio staples like the Go-Betweens’
“Streets Of Your Town” and the House of Love’s “I Don’t Know Why I
Love You” meld to the Ivy sound quite easily, as does, perhaps more
surprisingly, the Cure’s “Let’s Go To Bed.” Some of the tracks have
appeared elsewhere, but, with the exception of “Digging Your Scene,” this is
their first appearance on an Ivy album. Of
the album’s ten tracks, only has been covered with any regularity, but when
the song is Phil Spector’s “Be My Baby,” how can you be too upset?
Besides, if you can resist Dominique Durand’s cooing request, made over
a light trip-hop beat, you don’t deserve to be ANYONE’S baby!
James Iha
Let It Come Down
Virgin
The solo debut from Smashing Pumpkins member James Iha
is full of surprises, but the biggest one is that it sounds almost nothing like
the Smashing Pumpkins.
I’m sorry to sound so skeptical, but side projects
from major alternative bands often tend to be exercises in egotism rather than
exhibitions of quality material that for one reason or another didn’t fit
within the confines of their bands.
Coming across as a cross between Kyle Vincent and
Freedy Johnston in both vocal style and material (and occasional reminiscent of
Al Stewart, of all people), it’s a jangly, breezy album of folk-pop. The
opening trio of songs alone (“Be Strong Now,” “Sound Of Love,” and
“Beauty”) should be enough to draw in anyone with an ear for catchy hooks.