Darren Day

This Evening Tonight
(Head In The Sand Records)
 
Released in January of this year, This Evening Tonight is the first offering from local actor and musician Darren Day. For this folk/alt-pop/new wave disc, Day has enlisted the help of Winnipeg scenester Mike Petkau, who ably produced the album and also played on several tracks. The music itself is an eclectic mix that sees Day alone with his acoustic guitar as often as he is surrounded by drum loops and the sound of a Rhodes or Moog. Angular alt-pop is complemented by melody, and it's obvious that these songs are passionate pieces close to Day's heart. The songwriting, however, feels a little heavy at times, lacking that certain something that transforms a common phrase into a veritable flashlight in the dark. However, Day shows both promise and the courage to experiment - he'll be back.
- The Uptown, Winnipeg

Darren Day's mellow rock is as comforting as a hot cup of coffee on a rainy day and just as melancholy. The debut album from this Winnipeg singer-songwriter is a winding stream of melodic and moody tunes. Day's band, The Fading Hopes (Curtis Brandt, Bill Western, Steve Martens, Jeff Peters) are excellent players, keeping the sound tight and interesting with some intricate guitar work. Also, guest guitarist Jesse Carlson shows off his talent on the album's two standout tracks, "This Woman From Prague" and "Rainwalk". Both songs have a laid-back and romantic feel. Love, both dreamy and dreary, is the theme throughout the disc and "Rainwalk" is a perfect whimsical tune for starry-eyed romance. Day's vocals are middle range, husky in a gentle way and slightly strained on the high notes. Despite an imperfect voice, Day proves he can carry off a song, alone with an acoustic guitar, on "I Want To Fall In Love". The track is unique on the album, as the rest of the songs are filled out by the band. Not too hard and not too light, This Evening Tonight is a lovely find. (Head In The Sand Records, www.darrenday.ca)
 
WHITNEY LIGHT, Stylus Magazine
- Stylus Magazine, Winnipeg

This Evening Tonight
(Head In The Sand)

Style: Folk. No, indie-pop. No, new wave. No...
Sounds Like: A singer-songwriter with something extra.
Pointed Comments: If you can judge an artist by who his work reminds you of, Darren Day is in very good company. Between his often-plummy vocals, his darkly rich melodies, and the artful production applied to his pastoral folk-pop, Day brings to mind everyone from latter-day XTC and The Police to
David Byrne and The Payolas. But ultimately, the way he combines all those echoes into endearingly engaging works of subtle grace convinces you he is more than just the sum of his influences.
Standout: The bouncy strum of THIS WOMAN FROM PRAGUE will seduce you, but the jittery ? and the smoky YEAR OF THE SHARK are also strong.
On The Web: www.darrenday.ca
*** and a half out of *****
- The Winnipeg Sun

This Evening Tonight (Head In The Sand): Sometimes quirky, more often folky indie-pop by a Winnipeg tunesmith aided by the likes of pedal steelman Bill Western and programmer/producer Mike Petkau. Easily the most complex, fully formed melodies out of this city this
year (www.darrenday.ca).

-Bartley Kives - Winnipeg Free Press - Bartley Kives