Archer Prewitt White Sky CD

Archer "Studio-dog" Prewitt's second solo disc continues along the same lines as his previous solo work. It's the kind of music for which the clichTd "orchestral pop" moniker was invented. Showing a fondness for Bacharach-style songs and arrangements, and giving some overt nods to '60s pop (check out the wry inversion of the "Lola" riff on "Motorcycle"), Prewitt paints hazy, melancholy landscapes for the ear. Be sure not to miss such gems as "Last Summer Days" and "I'll Be Waiting."

Personnel: Archer Prewitt (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Mellotron, glockenspiel, tambourine, percussion); Edith Frost, Mark Greenberg (vocals); Corey Greenberg, Ken Sluiter (baritone guitar); Inger Carle, Susan Voelz (violin); Shelly Weiss (viola); Alison Chesley (cello); Paul Mertens (flute, harmonica, saxophone); Steve Goulding (snare drum).

Recording information: King Size Sound Laboratories; Mayfair Recordings; Poi Space; Stroppy Studios.

Q (3/00, p.106) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...crafted idiosyncratic songs with as many nods to the avant-garde as to pop classicism....fans of horn-emblazoned Stax and the works of Nick Drake will find themselves equally enthralled."
Uncut (3/00, p.80) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Imaginative and delicate use of woodwind, strings, trumpets and saxes have produced impressive results..."
Alternative Press (2/00, p.88) - 3 out of 5 - "...pretty orch-pop tunes that have surely never offended a soul....triumphantly hypnotic....[the tunes] just kind of hang out and do their attractive-yet-unmemorable thing..."
Magnet (1-2/00, p.77) - "...lush, orchestral numbers awash with somber vibes, WHITE SKY is the kind of album that could fit in nicely alongside the Richard Davies and Eric Matthews records in your collections..."
NME (Magazine) (11/6/99, p.38) - 7 out of 10 - "...tremendously lush soundscapes that still feel bleached and direct. It's some feat....There's an undercurrent of peaceful introspection running through each of these songs..."