Realistic isn’t a great album on its own, but it hints strongly at Ivy’s potential. A good deal of the songwriting comes from Academy Award-nominated Adam Schlesinger (also of Fountains of Wayne), who has an incredible ability to crank out pop songs — the writing on Realistic is occasionally marvelous, but bland. Overly slick production and a few lackadaisical songs keep the album from becoming very memorable. While French singer Dominique Durand’s wispy, enchanting voice and several great pop songs (“Everyday,” “Dying Star”) make Realistic worthwhile, the band’s later releases bring more life to Ivy’s smooth and gentle style of pop. – Nitsuh Abebe