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September 11th, 2008
The Soirée

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All killer, no filler
Chris Whibbs

Arnold: "I think we're starting to establish teh Soiree sound, whatever that is"
photo: Lindsay Ralph

The Soirée's claim for catchy melody is true

While the Soirée's debut, Birds, was a spacious affair that emitted glowing warmth, it also took its grand ol' time making its point. Though happy with the album, this Ottawa foursome quickly decided something had to change. Thus, for their second album, Minor Details, the hooks are hookier and the times are shorter. Singer and co-lyricist Matthew Arnold explains, "It is a little punchier from the beginning of the songs and I agree it is a little bit poppier than the last record. Not that the last record was sombre, but there was a sort of minor chord darker side, and this one's a lot more fun and energetic and that's definitely something we paid attention to."

The transformation is quite amazing as The Soirée has changed from their laid-back folk-rock vibe to full on melody-filled indie rock. These songs stick to your ribs because they brim with the confidence of a band growing their songwriting prowess. As Arnold notes, "I think we're starting to establish the Soirée sound, whatever that is. Hopefully we won't hear as many 'It sounds like this' type of comments. Those are good because they're comparing us to people we really like so it's not like it's a bad thing, but I think we've been slowly, song by song, figuring out our sound, and it's

definitely because of the effort of all four people in the band."

The Soirée (CD release)
w/ The Ethics, Gianna Lauren
@ Babylon
Friday, Sept. 12, 9 p.m.
$10

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