Violet Archers

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.