Customer Reviews

Broken Lights

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Andy Chase has made it once more. This is a brilliant album at the level of Ivy's best ones. I like Brookville's first album but found the second one a little bit flat. Broken Lights is what I was expecting from Andy and the album is a non stopper on my player. My song selection is:

Happy (What a great opening!)
Great Mistake (What a great single!)
Break my heart (almost like Ivy)
Goodbye
Tell her you love her

In the meantime Andy has produced other artists including the british pop group Trashcan Sinatras and they just released the album which again shows Andy Chase's talent.

Buy this album with confidence.

Although I think I prefer Brookville's two earlier albums to this latest, it is certainly not without its charms.

The production is great, as seems to be the norm whenever Andy Chase is involved. I love how he builds on the framework of a song, adding and subtracting different elements from the arrangement as the track progresses. I'd like for Andy to be hired to produce some of our top pop and rock bands. Maybe it sounds crazy, but I think he'd do wonders for U2 or Coldplay. Or Feist!

Andy's singing continues to get stronger. The sound quality overall is very good. It seems like they are recording in analog. Whether they do or not, they're getting a nice relaxed and detailed sound.

I have to say most of the tracks are a little more fluffy lite pop, and they don't draw me in as much as previous Brookville material. But there's a great cover of Haunted House, a G.W. McLennan song. End Of The World has a great hook. I almost wish that song had been saved for an Ivy album. The driving beat and arrangement remind me of typical Ivy material. Reunite is a meditation on death and rebirth. So there is some substantial material here, too.

Mainly, this album makes me hungry for a new disc from Ivy...

No doubt Andy Chase is a Gentleman, Scholar and one of the finest singer/songwriter/composers of our generation. In this age when everyone in R&B sounds the same, everyone in pop/rock sounds the same and everyone in alternative sounds the same, its refreshing to enjoy an artist that has their own style like no one else. A nice Euro-fusion flavor that anyone of any age can enjoy. This album is superb! Extremely enjoyable! Every track! If you are not familiar with Brookville, Ivy and the musical magic of Andy Chase then this is a great introduction. You'd might as well get the other Brookville's and everything Ivy while you're at it. You'll have several hours of some of the finest music, lyrics and soft soothing vocals that can be had in the last dozen years or so. I now have 7 works of Chase and Chase & Company (Chase, Durand, Schlesinger) and every one is a favorite. And btw, contrary to a previous reviewer, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this album cover shot. When I admire an artist and their work I want to know exactly what they look like and I do want close-ups. I want to see them perform live and say "yeah, that's right, that's the bloke that's sitting on my shelf at home right now!"

I am a big fan of Ivy and Brookville and I was excited to see this new CD come out. I think Andy Chase has produced another winner! Of Brookville's three CD's they get better with each one. I thought the first half of the CD is better than the second half but that's to be expected. I know that Andy's not the most talented singer, but I like his voice. I think he could benefit from more audible back up vocals and maybe a different lead vocalist on one or two songs. I would recommend this CD especially if you like Brookville and Ivy.

If you are already a fan of Brookville and/or Ivy you won't be disappointed with this one. It's exactly the same Brookville sound you've grown to love. Sometimes it seems like Andy Chase could use some singing lessons to stay on key, but I applaud him for not using Auto-Tune.

I am deducting a star for that awful, awful cover. It looks like that alter-ego dude that Garth Brooks pretended to be. Buy the MP3 version so your friends won't see it sitting on your coffee table.

EDIT: After listening to this album nonstop since i bought it.. i must say that it is just an nice and juicy as the first listens of any other brookville or paco or ivy albums. you simply cannot afford to not buy this if you like those works.

Andy Chase: i'm sorry i made fun of your cover, but dude, just cuz you got your own label, studio, and whatever doesn't mean you can have some egof*g vanity shot on the cover. after all the great ivy and brookville covers this one came out of left field and makes it hard to convince someone to check it out. stick to interior apt shots.

fav tracks so far are:
dreaming on
goodbye
breakdown

final thought: be wary if you listen to this when you are in a relationship that you want to to leave. the lyrics throughout are about moving on/breaking up from a bad relationship. i can't exactly play this in front of my gf. she might think i a sending a message. be warned! andy if you make me break up from a 3 year relationship i am suing for my money back or a new gf.

Another beautifully crafted pop album from Andy Chase. He was a no-show at the San Francisco concert yesterday due to a family emergency. Hope everything's OK.