Information/Write-up
The 2008 sophomore release from The Violet Archers.
Having garnered critical acclaim for their 2005 debut, The End of Part One, Tim Vesely and company are back with another crisp and delicate collection of engaging pop songs. The band includes acclaimed singer and pianist, Ida Nilsen (Great Aunt Ida, Buttless Chaps), drummer Camille Giroux (Sarah Harmer), bassist Scott Remila (Raising The Fawn) and guitarist Yawd Sylvester (Wayne Omaha).
"…getting to hear Tim in a new form is pretty great. It doesn't hurt his band is full of talented musicians from outstanding bands (Great Aunt Ida, Sarah Harmer, Raising the Fawn), but the first track from the new record - Sunshine at Night - is simply a great rock song. No frills or extra descriptors required. Just an ear pleasing acoustic, solid harmonies and dancing electric work. What else can you really ask for?" - Herohill.com
The Violet Archers are seasoned-veterans who know how to make magic. Case in point, helmsman Tim Vesely spent two decades as a revered singer and multi-instrumentalist for Canadian rock icons, The Rheostatics. On Sunshine At Night he is joined by acclaimed singer and pianist, Ida Nilsen (Great Aunt Ida, Buttless Chaps), drummer Camille Giroux (Sarah Harmer), bassist Scott Remila (Raising The Fawn) and guitarist Yawd Sylvester (Wayne Omaha). Together the band has crafted a stunning sophomore album of vibrant and lush indie rock. Recorded in Toronto at the Woodshed (Blue Rodeo) and the band’s home studio, Sunshine At Night is a focused and assured release.
"Eschewing fanfare, Sunshine at Night proves how potent a band the Violet Archers are, now more than ever."
The faultless pop of the Violet Archers remains understated on Sunshine at Night, where dynamic shifts appear like subtle thieves, disappearing into the night. Though he's perhaps best known for writing the most prominent Rheostatics singles, Tim Vesely moves towards infectious music with great deliberation. His vocals, metaphors and arrangements don't float in on a breeze but rather push against the wind, working hard to earn their place. There are few showy moments on Sunshine at Night, which is a grittier, pointed follow-up to 2005's The End of Part One. After the hazy, Brighten the Corners-feel of "Transporter," there's a logical restlessness to the revealing "Tired." Vesely's vocal range is far from limited but he clearly knows how to work his strengths, speaking-singing "Suffocates" and feeling the Stones-y strut of "Don't Talk" with (Great Aunt) Ida Nilsen, who takes a lead role herself on "Insecure." Eschewing fanfare, Sunshine at Night proves how potent a band the Violet Archers are, now more than ever. (Zunior)
-Vish Khanna, exclaim.ca, May 26, 2008
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