In the Clear

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Professional reviews
In the Clear

Studio album by Ivy
Released	March 1, 2005
Recorded	2004-2005
Genre	Pop
Length	43:22
Label	Nettwerk
Producer(s)	Steve Osborne
All Music Guide link Music Box link
Ivy chronology
Guestroom (2002)	In the Clear (2005)

In the Clear is an album released by the band Ivy on March 1, 2005 on Nettwerk.

When starting sessions for In The Clear, the band tried to strike a balance between the immediacy of their early recordings and the careful sonic detailing of their more recent work. "Initially we talked about going back to more of a live band sound," explains Schlesinger, "but of course that wouldn’t have taken long enough."

Chase elaborates, "We tried to capture the excitement of just playing together - on guitar or piano and drums – first. We would put down lots of raw, spontaneous ideas, and then the three of us would flesh them out over time, constantly adding or taking things away, but always trying to retain that initial energy." This method, while common for some bands, represented a totally new approach for Ivy , who in the past had written almost exclusively outside the studio; on In The Clear, the writing and recording processes often blended together.

Not every idea held up over time, or ultimately met Ivy’s songwriting standards. "There were some musical ideas that we really loved, but sometimes they didn’t fit the direction we were going or we couldn’t turn them into complete songs that I was comfortable singing," says Durand. "But many came together very quickly".

The 10 songs on In The Clear vary in tempo and mood, and yet the record has a sense of continuity that is never lost - from the slow crescendo of the introductory "Nothing But The Sky" through visceral pop songs like "Thinking About You", "Tess Don't Tell" (with James Iha on lead guitar) and "I've Got You Memorized" to slinkier, subtler tracks like "Four In The Morning", "Ocean City Girl" and "Keep Moving". Many lyrics suggest internal narratives more than straightforward storytelling; themes of secrecy, isolation and escape resurface throughout the album.

Ivy brought in legendary UK producer/mixer Steve Osborne (New Order, Happy Mondays, Starsailor, Elbow) for his first-ever New York sessions to mix much of the record. It was Osborne's ability to make records sound both aggressive and spacious that attracted the group to his work.

In The Clear also features guest appearances by friends like guitarists James Iha, Jody Porter (Fountains Of Wayne), Brazilian string arranger Zé Luis (Bebel Gilberto, Caetano Veloso), and former Girls Against Boys frontman Scott McLoud, who duets with Durand on the closing track "Feel So Free".

The album got even more warm reception than previous. "Thinking About You" got an animated promotional video clip, and stays as second most popular Ivy's song.