In Violet Light (studio album) by The Tragically Hip

When going through the Hip discography again this year in advance of their tour, I realized that I'd almost entirely neglected to give In Violet Light a fair shot when I'd first heard it.

I'm glad I gave it another chance, because I now have it as one of their best albums.

From ghosttomost 05/21/2014 07:03

This could be one of the most underrated albums of the decade. It's greatest shortcoming is the fact that it was released under the "Tragically Hip" moniker. Unfortunately, this meant that only those who had previously enjoyed the Hip really took any notice of the album, and their opinions of its anomalous sound were understandably sour. Instead, In Violet Light would have caught fire had it circulated amongst the indie scene at time. This record is thematically more similar to Wilco than 1990s Hip, which is at the source of the confusion and surrounding In Violet Light. With the exception of the opening track dud, every other song here is a gem, each with a strong soul, passionate melody, and exceptionally poetic lyrics. Tracks such as "It's a Good Life" and "The Dire Wolf" rank amongst my favourite songwriting accomplishments by any artist of all time. The nuanced approach taken to these songs was never properly appreciated by the masses who were hoping for the next Tragically Hip singalong a la "Poets". Due to poor reception amongst fans and even fellow bandmates, the Tragically attempted to veer back towards a more mainstream rock genre with their following albums, never being able to match the intensity or intelligence of their catalogue up until this point. Thus, In Violet Light's mood captures a band in transition and unsure of its future, remaining underappreciated save for by a precious few.

From junodog4 06/23/2012 18:40

I don't finds this one weird at all... At this stage, I don't expect anything new from the Hip. They created amazing albums in the 90s, but since then, they've been reheating leftovers. It's still listenable, but nothing notable.

From jhuik 06/23/2012 15:44

The Hip went away from their mainstream sound on this record they acknowledge as "weird." Throwing Off Glass and Leave are two tracks that are key to understanding what they're reaching for here, though. These songs are all about mixing strong poetry with slow minor-chord-laden progressions. This is Gord and company reaching deep for art... and certainly making some. Dire Wolf, Beautiful Thing and Good Life are all favourites. Silver Jet is an obligatory rocker that just spoils the mood, really.

Their weakest link, last Hip album I bought.