''Guestroom'' is the fourth studio album by the band

Ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

. It was released on September 10, 2002 by

Minty Fresh Minty Fresh is a Chicago-based record label, founded in 1993 by Jim Powers with Anthony Musiala. The label is known for launching the careers of Veruca Salt. They also gave the Swedish band The Cardigans their first US release and released the d ...

and Unfiltered Records. Unlike the group's previous albums, the album consisted entirely of

cover song In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song released ...

s, without any new material. Some of the songs featured on the album were previously released as

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

s to the band's singles. Two singles were released from ''Guestroom''. Lead single, "

Digging Your Scene "Digging Your Scene" is a song recorded by English band The Blow Monkeys for their second studio album, '' Animal Magic'' (1986). The single was released in February 1986 as the second one from the parent record. It was written by lead singer D ...

" was previously recorded for Ivy's previous studio release, '' Long Distance'' (2001), but an updated version appeared on this album for the single release. " Let's Go to Bed" was released as the final single for the album in late 2002. Another song, " I Guess I'm Just a Little Too Sensitive", was also previously recorded on their debut

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

, '' Lately''. Upon release, ''Guestroom'' featured mostly positive reviews from music critics, who praised the covers included on the album. Dominique Durand's vocals were also praised for being "wispy" and "warm". The Japanese edition of ''Guestroom'' was reissued on April 18, 2015, in the United States by Minty Fresh.

Critical reception

''Guestroom'' received generally positive reviews from critics. MacKenzie Wilson of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

praised Ivy for the "divine picks, particularly "

I Don't Know Why I Love You "I Don't Know Why" (sometimes listed as "Don't Know Why I Love You") is a song by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, from the 1968 album ''For Once in My Life''. It was released as a single on January 28, 1969, with " My Cherie Amour" on ...

", further adding that "''Guestroom'' is an added bonus for new and old fans alike". In a divided review, Noel Dix of ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' stated that "sadly, this is not the follow-up to stunning ''Long Distance''", but later added that "the real treat of ''Guestroom'' is the stunning manipulation of "Be My Baby".

Track listing

All tracks produced by Andy Chase and Adam Schlesinger, except "Be My Baby", which is also produced by Gary Maurer.

Personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from ''Guestroom'' liner notes and Andy Chase's discography. *

Marty Beller Marty Beller (born July 10, 1967) is an American musician and songwriter. He is the current drummer for They Might Be Giants since Dan Hickey's departure in 2004. He has recorded two solo albums. He has contributed writing and vocals for three of ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

Andy Chase Andy Chase is record producer and label owner. He formed the band Ivy with Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne and Dominique Durand, now his wife. Chase owns Unfiltered Records and co-owned Stratosphere Sound studio with Schlesinger and James ...

– producer, mixer, engineer *Ruddy Cullers – engineer *Dominique Durand – lead and backing vocals *Gary Maurer –

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

Mark Plati Mark Plati is a New York–based musician, record producer, and songwriter, best known for his work in the 1990s with David Bowie. Plati also has worked with Spookey Ruben, The Cure, Duncan Sheik, Hooverphonic, Robbie Williams, Joe McIntyre, ...

– mixer *Pedro Resende – co-producer *Geoff Sanoff – engineer *

Adam Schlesinger Adam Lyons Schlesinger (October 31, 1967 – April 1, 2020) was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He was a founding member of the bands Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows, and was a key songwriting contribu ...

– producer

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2002 albums Ivy (band) albums Minty Fresh Records albums Albums produced by Adam Schlesinger