Realistic,
Ivy's debut album, sometimes lost its pop purity when an overly slick production smoothed it over too much -- it was the laudable
Apartment Life that seemed to take the band's plush sweetness where it really needed to go.
Lately, an EP from the band's early days, doesn't suffer from an overly polished quality -- its five songs let their dreamier elements come straight from the group's songwriting, and each sparkles with delicate melodies and incredibly gentle pop constructions. Even when the EP's songwriting isn't as keen as that of the album it led to,
Lately's more natural presentation gives it a definite edge -- this is yet another fine moment in the history of sophisticated pop that
Ivy created.