Album Notes

Uncertain Vista by Sills and Smith was recorded, mixed and produced by Jonathan Edwards at Corvidae Music in Ottawa, Ontario from July - August, 2011. The album features 21 tracks and close to an hour of music. Uncertain Vista is music in the indie alternative rock/folk vein. The songs were written by Frank Smith and Jeremy Sills: words - Frank Smith; music - Frank Smith and Jeremy Sills. The music for No Safety Net, High Tide and A Symphony of Colours was written by Smith, Sills and Edwards. The singers and players include: vocals - Frank Smith; vocals, electric and acoustic guitars - Jeremy Sills; electric and acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, mandolin and vocals - Jonathan Edwards.

The album rocks really hard in places with tracks like No Safety Net, The Crux of The Matter, Angry Geezer and Ominous, but also features quieter tunes with lovely harmonies. A Poet, A Painter; High Tide, Your Eyes, Water, Autumn, Just Breathe and the glorious title track Uncertain Vista present the gentler side to Sills and Smith. Thematically the album digs deep into the joy and pain of life. The epic first track A Writer's Retreat, about a troubled literary writer, combines dark and edgy electric riffing in the verses, with a catchy, memorable chorus. Inside/Outside, about the dangers of internalizing things, is musically trippy and ambient, but the wailing guitar solo and driving rhythm section in the middle of the tune really propel the song forward to a dizzying conclusion. A Symphony of Colours, with a beautiful string arrangement by Jonathan Edwards, is about the tragedy of violence against women. Not Looking For Any Trouble and Ominous capture the intrigue of the murder mystery and the deep fear that resides in all of us of the dangers lurking all around. The Cutting Remark is a snarling rebuke of the insensitivity of people close to us. Blue is about women who seem perpetually sad. While the tracks A Train Pulls Out of The Station and Listen address the end of relationships. Spiraling Down is about deep depression.

Taken as a whole Uncertain Vista is a unique musical journey. Multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Edwards is a bass player extraordinaire. The album features the rich sound of upright bass through many of the songs. Jeremy Sills' tremendous vocal range is on full display here as he swoops and soars around Frank Smith's voice.

She Promised the Sun was written in loving memory of Frank Smith's mother Carolyn Jane Smith who passed away in June, 2011 just before Uncertain Vista was recorded. The album art features a photograph by Grace Smith and a painting by Naomi Athena. Album art design was created by Grace Smith and Jeremy Sills.