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Just got in from some shows, mostly in Quebec, with The Wooden Sky this past week.  Hymns were travelling as a 3-piece, working out the songs off of Spirit Guides in new ways, trying to find our feet, trying to get over bronchitis, a bike accident and getting blown away each night but how amazing The Wooden Sky are as a live band.  Seriously, go see these guys if you haven’t yet.  It was a real treat playing with them every night and getting to hear all those songs.  Their new record, “If I Don’t Come Home, You’ll Know I’m Gone” is a stunningly beautiful record that we all highly recommend.

We’re set to officially release our new record Spirit Guides out into the wilderness/city this Friday by throwing it a little party.  It has been out for almost a month and so far the response has been flattering.  The little guy is growing up fast and it’s time he put on his party cap and celebrated.  Evening Hymns will grow this Friday night to possibly it’s largest incarnation yet.  The details are as follows:

Doors at 8pm

The Harbourcoats (Bry Webb from the Constantines) at 9pm

Evening Hymns at 10pm

DJ’s Bahai Cassette till whenever…

We got some surprises in store as well.

Please spread the word.

We’re excited to share this evening with you.

I can’t express how excited I am to have Bry (Harbourcoats) playing this night.  The music he creates in both the Cons and Harbourcoats is wonderful and truly inspiring and it’ll be a real treat to have him in a room like the Main Hall on Friday!  Please come early!

The poster was made by Sylvie Smith and I think she did a damn fine job.

More details about the show here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Evening-Hymns/90093497008?ref=ts#/event.php?eid=170179132226&ref=ts

Thanks!  Hope to see you Friday night!

jb

EVENING HYMNS – Spirit Guides

Organic stuff is all the rage right now with our food and drink, so why not with our music, too? OK, maybe not, but if that was the case, I would suggest stocking the aisles of your favourite organic music shop with Spirit Guides. This nine-song album exudes a connection to the natural world—so much so that the soaring chorus to “Mtn. Song” proclaims that “the world is a mountain”, while penultimate track “November 1st, 2008, Lakefield, Ontario” is an unaltered five-minute field recording of a rainstorm.

But Evening Hymns bandleader and songwriter Jonas Bonnetta doesn’t just sit back and let nature do all the talking. Spirit Guides may be a lush, unhurried foray into ruminant, orchestral folk-pop—complete with the able backing of members of bands such as Forest City Lovers, The D’Urbervilles and Ohbijou (whose drummer Jamie Bunton recorded the album)—but these ruminations ain’t just granola. Instead, the record embraces the grey, with tracks like “Dead Deer” and “Broken Rifle” shifting ably between brilliant light and murky menace. This gentle tug-of-war is carefully expressed by gorgeous arrangements that see the record blossom effortlessly from guy-and-a-guitar plainspeak into full-throated calls of strings and voices.

It’s a record that conveys the balance of solitude and lump-in-the-throat beauty one encounters on their best hikes in the woods—moments where you go to witness nature but end up thinking more about your own place in it. In this way, the natural world this record ultimately delves into is that of human nature, its casual approach disarming you to its powers within.

http://www.soundscapesmusic.com/current-featured-releases/2009/11/29/evening-hymns-spirit-guides.html

Evening Hymns’ debut full-length Spirit Guides is out in stores. The vinyl version of the album should start being available next week.  Sorry for the delay!

So far the reviews have all been really positive.  Here’s a recent one from torontoist.com:

Why is Jonas Bonnetta so damn disarming? His debut full length as Evening Hymns—essentially a fleshed-out version of his real-monikered earlier release—oozes a level of granola that could cause discomfort for hyper-aware, self-conscious indie rock fans; the album is called Spirit Guides and much of the lyrical content is about the forest and there’s a full track just of a rain storm and have you seen that eerie, foggy mountain on the cover? Somehow, though, there isn’t a pretentious note on this record.

Releasing his album on Out of this Spark makes perfect sense for Bonnetta since he’s long been embraced by the associated Bellwoods crew; he has appeared on both Friends in Bellwoods compilations and frequently shares the stage with these pals; Spirit Guides‘ backing band is made up of members of Forest City Lovers, the D’Urbervilles, and the Wooden Sky; and it was recorded back-and-forth between Peterborough and Toronto by Ohbijou’s drummer, James Bunton. A lo-fi aesthetic permeates the record, and although things sound a little too loose sometimes, close mics and soft rooms aren’t needed to preserve the underlying warmth in even the most chilling songs. The Appalachian-inspired “Mountain Song,” with its wall-banging percussion and swelling, distant choir, recalls the grandiose of fellow woodsy locals Bruce Peninsula if they were a bit more tuneful, and “Dead Deer” is a perfect example of some of the simplest yet most effective dynamics on the record, throwing a soft confessional verse into a perfectly smudged guitar chorus that’s startlingly huge, and just as quickly shifting back into a verse that’s lush with instruments but tired-voiced and shuffling. A highlight among highlights would be “Broken Rifle” (streaming above, listen!), a cheerful-sounding indie rock romp whose lyrics are deceptively desperate but sing-along-worthy nonetheless (and sure to be a highlight in Bonnetta’s charismatic live set). The hushed bedroom folk of “History Books” that meekly closes Spirit Guides strips Bonnetta to his barest moment on the disc and is a perfect end to a satisfying set of songs that are genuine, tangible, and truly, ahem, spirited.

All throughout, the surprising guitars, the understated Arcade Fire intensity of the string, horn, and organ arrangements, and the enviable pop instincts give Spirit Guides an unassuming sophistication that is rare, infectious, and refreshing. Add all of that to his irresistible Joel Plaskett likeability factor, and Jonas Bonnetta could very quickly become one of the most talked-about dudes in local music.

http://torontoist.com/2009/11/sound_advice_spirit_guides_by_evening_hymns.php

aw shucks.

hope everyone is well. i leave with my new band this weekend for out first show together.  really excited to continue to work out the spirit guides song live. check to the right to see when we’re playing in your town. and go support your local independent record store. other then that i’ve mostly just been contemplating this:

be well.

jb

hey everyone.

i am writing from a really strange hotel in chicago that is all neon and dance music.  totes my style.  got some of the november tour dates with The Wooden Sky firmed up today.  here they are:

Sat 11/07 – Windsor, ON @ Phog Lounge