Search - Violet Indiana :: Russian Doll

Late-night, smoky, sulky romance

Steven K. de la Vaux | Atlanta, Georgia | 07/25/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Violet Indiana is the new project of Robin Guthrie (ex-cocteau twins) and Siobhan de Mare (ex-mono). This is their second proper album (not counting the USA release "Casino" which was a collection of UK EPs and b-sides) after "Roulette". Stand out tracks include "new girl", "you", and "beyond the furr" and "close the world." The album definitelty benefits from repeated listens and is great late night listening. Violet Indiana is a unique act in this world of homogenized, mass produced music."

Guthrie masters another dream

David Hoffend | Rochester, NY USA | 08/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have read and heard a lot of criticism surrounding Violet Indiana. If you read between the lines of what people are saying, it all boils down to one thing- reviewers just can not get over the fact that Robin Guthrie has recorded songs without Liz Frazier. Truth is, Violet Indiana is a fantastic step in Guthrie's career- it's like he has found a beautiful new color palette to paint with. The writing and performance of these songs is every bit as good as anything Guthrie has done in the past- and Siobhan de Mare's vocals blend beautifully with Guthrie's dreamy guitar compositions. In fact, being able to understand the lyrics that are being sung adds a whole new depth of emotion and meaning to the songs. The lyrics are often tinged with just a hint of sadness, which compliments Guthrie's musical style perfectly. If Guthrie had changed his name for the Violet Indiana CD's, everyone would be giving them five out of five stars. Don't let the nay-sayers sway your opinion- Violet Indiana is lush, beautiful, dreamy, and it will sweep you away from reality as well as anything that Guthrie has done in the past. And escaping from reality for a while is something that is a true gift these days!"