Towards the Sunset

“Towards the Sunset” is highly regarded as one of the most important and quintessentially Newfoundland albums ever written and recorded. Written and performed by brothers Pat and Joe Byrne and friend, Baxter Wareham, this album is one of the finest examples of topical, educated, poignant and socially relevant songs in all of Newfoundland music. Themes vary from the decline of the once mighty Newfoundland fishery to the governmental pressure placed upon outport communities during the mass resettlement of the 1960s. The album is sparse and to the point, featuring very little in the way of instrumentation. Nylon string guitar and accordion are the principal instruments with Pat and Joe rounding out the majority of the singing with their lived-in, charmingly weathered voices. This barebones approach to the music ensures that the messages in the songs cut through clearly. They have and continue to influence, inform and encourage new generations of Newfoundland singer-songwriters to write and sing about their home and the social and economic changes that shape our island.

Joe Byrne: vocals, guitar
Pat Byrne: vocals, guitar
Baxter Wareham: accordion, mandolin, banjo, vocals

Produced by Des Walsh
Engineered by Wallace Hammond
Recorded at Echo Music and Recording Ltd., St. John's, Newfoundland in June, 1983.
Photography: Justin Hall
LP Jacket Design: J. Byrne, P. Byrne, D. Walsh