Artist bio

The Sundays made an immediate splash in the British pop scene with the release of Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic in 1990. Though initially likened to Cocteau Twins or Everything But The Girl, the band resisted such labels, endearing audiences with the one-two kiss of Harriet Wheeler’s beautiful voice and David Gavurin’s Smiths-ian acoustic melodies.

Songs such as the jubilant, bouncing pop of “Hideous Towns” and the heart-melting hit “Here’s Where The Story Ends,” helped attract a sizeable following in the U.S. Much awaited follow-up Blind arrived in 1992 and did little to tinker with the recipe. “Love” was a U.S. hit, and a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses” wound up in a television commercial.

After successful tours in Europe and America, the Sundays virtually disappeared and little-to-no information was circulated about the group’s future, or lack thereof.

After a five-year absence that saw the Cranberries ride the band’s formula straight to the bank, the Sundays resurfaced in the summer of 1997 with Static And Silence. Static, marked by the haunting “Folk Song” and the absolutely sensational “Shy,” balanced the trademark pop sensibilities of the first two records with a mature narrative voice informed by years out of the spotlight (Wheeler and Gavurin had a child together during the long break and built a home studio, where Static was recorded).

A short U.S. tour that Fall drew sell-out crowds, but the band quickly faded into the background again upon its completion.

Albums by this artist

Static And Silence (1997)

Blind (1992)

Reading, Writing And Arithmetic (Recommended) (1990)

The Sundays

Static And Silence

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» JONATHAN COHEN | SENIOR EDITOR

The Sundays Static And Silence DGC, 1997 RiYL: Cocteau Twins, The Cranberries, R.E.M.'s Out Of Time, The Smiths

Static And Silence came almost five years since the U.K.-based Sundays released Blind, the second album full of lovesick, acoustic ballads penned by guitarist David Gavurin and sung ethereally by vocalist Harriet Wheeler.

Gavurin and Wheeler grew up during their time off, having conceived a child and settled into daily life together. And Static And Silence bears plentiful evidence of time away from the world of music.

Since 1992, said world saw pale Sundays imitators rise to prominence, from the wayward musical mess that is the Cranberries to more genuine outfits such as the Innocence Mission. And on a few of Static's 12 songs, the Sundays sound like they're chasing their offspring rather than ignoring them altogether.

Recorded in the duo's home studio with trusty bassist Paul Brindley and drummer Patrick Hannan, Static alternates between vintage Sundays of years past, some mature ballads and a few studio experiments gone awry.

Hardcore devotees will immediately latch onto "Folk Song," a longing, mournful tale that soars into the soul via Wheeler's beautifully sung chorus, and "She," an absolutely heart-melting song that epitomizes the Sundays' ability to tug on one's emotions. Gavurin's swirling, melodic guitar perfectly complements Hannah's bouncing bass line and Wheeler's gorgeous vocal hooks.

A couple of songs would fit effortlessly on either of the two prior Sundays records. "I Can't Wait" begins with tender finger-picked melodies and ends too soon after Wheeler's seductive chorus. "Another Flavor" hops up and down on an elastic, zooming bass line and a Wheeler-only breakdown at song's end.

Wheeler's voice rescues a few otherwise mediocre numbers, including the subdued "When I'm Thinking About You." "Your Eyes" is a definite slice of life at home with the band, sounding like a Sunday morning conversation over a cup of tea and an English muffin. But studio experimentation goes both ways. The inclusion of flute and salsa drums on "Your Eyes" or the synthesized horn arrangements on first single "Summertime" sound hopelessly dated and spoil otherwise solid songs.

Slight experimentation aside, Static doesn't mess much with the well-oiled gears of the band's breathtaking balladry, and love-addled souls of the world will find plenty to soothe an aching heart .

JONATHAN COHEN | Jonathan Cohen co-created Nude As The News with his Indiana University mates Troy Carpenter and Ben French. When not traversing the globe for business and pleasure, he holds down the fort as a senior editor for Billboard in New York. Stop him and he just may ask, "what for lunch?"