Wonderfully Nothing

Harp, September 2003
"Chase's enduring talent for melody ... create(s) a symbiotic lushness recalling Everything But The Girl or Avalon-era Roxy Music."

Product Description
Flaunting a sleek and slender Euro-romantic sound, Ivy's Andy Chase, steps out on his own with Brookville's debut, Wonderfully Nothing. It is beautifully rendered music that allows Chase to balance his talent for songcraft with his love for rich sonic landscapes and textures. It is in some senses a "solo record," on which Chase is free to explore the type of languid, atmospheric music that was only hinted at within the tight pop framework of Ivy's records. But the many contributing musicians on the album - including James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins), Eric Matthews, Jean-Pierre Ensuque (Autour de Lucie), Jon Skibic (Gigolo Aunts), Danny Weinkauf (They Might Be Giants), and producer-programmer Michael Hampton - suggests that the making of Brookville was also a collaborative effort that left ample room for experimentation and exploration.

Wonderfully Nothing

Tracks:

Fleet
Walking On Moonlight
Sample From Heaven
Shine
Justine
Sweet Sensation
Tomorrow Is Gone
Summer Parade
Fais Dodo
Beautiful View
Home
This Is The Last Time
This Is How It Ends

Album Description

Flaunting a sleek and slender Euro-romantic sound, Ivy's Andy Chase, steps out on his own with Brookville's debut, Wonderfully Nothing. It is beautifully rendered music that allows Chase to balance his talent for songcraft with his love for rich sonic landscapes and textures. It is in some senses a "solo record," on which Chase is free to explore the type of languid, atmospheric music that was only hinted at within the tight pop framework of Ivy's records. But the many contributing musicians on the album - including James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins), Eric Matthews, Jean-Pierre Ensuque (Autour de Lucie), Jon Skibic (Gigolo Aunts), Danny Weinkauf (They Might Be Giants), and producer-programmer Michael Hampton - suggests that the making of Brookville was also a collaborative effort that left ample room for experimentation and exploration.

Album Description

New York-based musician & producer, Andy Chase, best known as a member of the esteemed NY pop band Ivy, is onto his latest ventures - a new band, Brookville & the launch of his label, Unfiltered Records. The album features guest appearances from James Iha, Eric Matthews, & more. Includes limited edition bonus 5 track CD featuring 'Get Enough' Ivy, 'This Is The Day' Ivy, 'Walking On Moonlight' Brookville, 'Sweet Sensation' Brookville & 'Lie' Paco. Digipak/Cardboard sleeve. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for a Sunday drive.......2007-07-09

I can't really think of any new words to describe the album, since all of them have already been used...Beautiful, atmospheric, sleek, and anything else you can find in the thesarus works. Every track is soothing and takes you somewhere different. Although the lyrics are sometimes weak, that's easily ignorable. A great buy!

Great Sunday Music.......2007-05-13

As a fan of Ivy, I had to try Andy Chase's break off CD. I listened to the 30 second clips from Amzaon and though it might be worth it. I was more than right. Three Tracks stand out, Home- a great Sunday morning piece, Summer Parade- a bit like John Mayer's sound and Justine- a clasic deep sound that is great just about any mood I'm in.
I recommend it for anyone who likes Ivy's smoother trcks like Baker and Edge of the Ocean.

Outstanding!.......2006-02-26

I am a diehard Ivy fan. My favorite band. And so I purchased Brookville and Paco as soon as I understood their origins. Neither disappointed. If Ivy, Brookville & Paco continue releasing cds I will be one happy pup.

Stellar pop interlaced with intrumental experiments.......2005-03-27

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.

Beautiful Music.......2005-02-06

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".

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully Nothing
Brookville
Manufacturer: Jvc Victor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000AFOLK
Release Date: 2003-09-01

Tracks:

Fleet
Walking On Moonlight
Sample From Heaven
Shine
Justine
Sweet Sensation
Tomorrow Is Gone
Summer Parade
Fais Dodo
Beautiful View
Home
This Is The Last Time
This Is How It Ends
Life Is So Strange (Bonus Track)
Cool Luv (Bonus Track)

Album Details

Japanese Version featuring a Bonus Track

Average customer rating:

Unfiltered 2003
Unfiltered , Caroline , Stratosphere Sound , and Nettwerk
Manufacturer: Caroline Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000U8VQ6O

Product Description

Track Listing: 1. - Ivy - "Get Enough" 2. Ivy - "This is the Day" 3. Brookville - "Walking on Moonlight" 4. Brookville - "Sweet Sensation" 5. Paco - "Lie". Limited Edition Compilation EP.

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