Search - Brookville :: Wonderfully Nothing

Stellar pop interlaced with intrumental experiments

Eric J. Anderson | Ankeny, Iowa | 03/27/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This hour-long collection of dreamy, moody, pop music continues in the vein of the second half of Ivy's classic Long Distance CD: sweet, melodic, airy. (Multi-instrumentalist and singer Andy Chase, composer or co-composer of all the songs here, is one of the three minds behind Ivy.) Brookville is pleasant and relaxing, the antidote to a hectic day. Of the thirteen tracks, eight are vocals and five instrumentals. I think the instrumentals are more suited to film soundtracks, but perhaps others will appreciate these loop-based constructions more than I did. The instrumentals stimulate daydreamy pictures in the cortex -- with the sense that there ought to be a movie to go with them.



I found myself thinking of odd associations, listening to this music. Andy Chase's voice -- Art Garfunkel without the breathiness. The beat and synthesizers of Beatiful View evoke Everything But the Girl, and the instrumental Home, with its horn ensemble and sweet trumpet lines somehow brings to mind the melancholy ending of a Charlie Brown TV special.



For the overall rating, if all-time classic records like Sgt. Pepper or The Wall or even Ivy's Long Distance rate five stars, then a fair rating here would be 3½ or 4 stars. (I upgraded this rating by a half-star after several more listens to this album.) The production is a bit less meticulous and the work a bit more experimental than a full band release from Ivy or Fountains of Wayne. But it is all listenable. Some songs are more likeable than others, I didn't think any one of the thirteen tracks was added just to fill up the space. This is a very classy album.



Tracks like Summer Parade, This is How It Ends (the final track, wink wink), and Shine are some of the most mature and well-crafted pop tunes released just lately. I didn't dig into the lyrics that much, but whatever Andy is singing about seems to sink down into your soul, imparting a sense of peaceful sadness that goes beyond any lyrical analysis.



If only every solo experiment of artists who normally work in a group context were this good, the music world would be a happier place."

The genius of Andy Chase

AUTOHYPNOSIS | USA | 08/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Andy Chase proves beyond a doubt with this release that he is more than just one part of Ivy. "Wonderfully Nothing" is a bold, experimental album featuring a multitude of styles. The album's instrumental songs are all standouts and certainly don't need vocals to carry them, while the more straightforward pop songs such as "Summer Parade" and "This is How It Ends" showcase Chase's vocal talents. The album includes touches of pop, electronica and jazz, yet it all feels very cohesive, with these genres blending together nicely."

Beautiful Music

Jay | New York | 02/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a huge fan of Ivy I bought this album without hesitation and was pleasantly surprised to find a mature musical style with quietly beautiful pop songs. At first I listened mainly to "Summer Parade" because I found it to have the most instantly appealing melody, but after more time with the album I began to appreciate the ambient sounds and the well crafted lyrics. Check out "Fleet", my favorite song on the album and one of the most sublime instrumental tracks I've ever heard. The instruments serve as different layers that constantly enhance each other or push the melody into different directions.



My favorite tracks on the album are "Summer Parade", "Sweet Sensation", "This Is How It Ends", and "Fleet"."