Brookville WONDERFULLY NOTHING (Unfiltered)

Now that Fountains of Wayne have finally scored a hit for themselves, Andy Chase — the guy who plays in FOW bassist/songwriter Adam Schlesinger’s other band, Ivy — has taken some time to record some solo material under the moniker Brookville. As with Ivy, there’s a retro tinge to everything Chase does under the Brookville name. He seems nostalgic for that period in the ’90s when the lounge craze hit pop bands and people seemed content to fritter away the wee hours in dimly lit, velvety lounges with cocktails in hand rather than snorting rails of speed and ecstasy off the back of a fluorescent-bathed toilet in an electroclash stupor. Wonderfully Nothing retains much of Ivy’s sleek and sensuous guitar-pop stylings while putting a premium on the kind of urbane sound trickery one might find on an Air or Zero 7 recording. A jazzy, nocturnal ambiance guides the fluttery synths and e-bowed guitar of the instrumental "Fleet," the oceanic trip-hop of "Justine," and the Parisian shuffle of "Fais Dodo." But it’s not all aural wallpaper, not with Chase injecting his breathy vocals into the smartly constructed, Bacharachian pop number "Summer Parade" and the graceful "Beautiful View." Perfect for Sunday chill-outs or reminiscing fondly about your stock options.