Vintage Review: In Pursuit’s When Darkness Falls EP (1985)

When Darkness Falls, as the first pop/rock release of the Nashville-based MTM Records, places a heavy burden on the shoulders of the musicians known collectively as In Pursuit. MTM holds a heavy rep in the entertainment industry as a producer of quality television programming appealing to an intelligent audience…and they’ll be expected to uphold the same high standards and quality in the recordings they release.

When Darkness Falls fulfills all expectations, succeeding on every level. In Pursuit rises to the implied challenge to create an inspired gem of ‘80s-styled pop music. The five songs on this mini-album are compact, complex vignettes, tales of modern life. Bassist Emma provides lead vocals on the majority of the cuts, showing an impressive range of emotion and style. In Pursuit’s instrumentation is sparse, placed handily behind the vocals in the mix, ‘cause, after all, the lyrics are the message.

My faves? Well, the title cut, a nifty little made-for-radio hopper, grabs my ears and “Sacrifices,” which features guitarist Jay Joyce’s understated though effective vocals, shows a great interplay of vocals and instruments…and Jeff Boggs’ drums are always on cue. In Pursuit’s When Darkness Falls is a quality creation just waiting for a quality audience. (MTM Records, released 1985)

Review originally published by The Metro, 1985

Nashville's In Pursuit