press > ALL MUSIC GUIDE, USA April 2007

THE TONIGHTS ‘The Tonights’
(Sun & Air)

A showcase for the alluringly smoky-voiced singer-songwriter Eva Fritz, Australian trio the Tonights proffer a mature, understated version of AAA pop with elements of Tori Amos, late-era Everything But the Girl and electro-folkie Beth Orton. Fritz's vocals are the songs' focal point, and with good reason: a subtle but instantly appealing singer who favors minor-key moodiness over big-note showboating, Fritz is the group's strongest asset. Musically, the album is about evenly split between downtempo-influenced semi-electronica like "Circus Minding" and the creepily atmospheric, loop-based "Homunculus" and more straightforward piano-driven pop tunes like the quietly self-assured "Trace," which features the album's most assertive and catchy chorus. Opening track and first single "Tiptoes" is another highlight, adding a brash alt-rock edge that recalls near-forgotten '90s faves like Bettie Serveert and Belly. Overall, this is a low key but entirely promising album.

Stewart Mason

ALL MUSIC GUIDE, USA April 2007