"Archivist are advertised as a group, but their name - as well as the feel of this album - suggests that Learning To Live On Poison is mostly a solo project from Montreal's Ben McCarthy.
It was written, says McCarthy, while his love, Lisa Smith, was on tour with The Dears. He hoped the album would act as an archive of the time he spent alone (hence the name Archivist).
A few notable guest musicians stop by to help McCarthy out, including Sunset Rubdown's Camilla Wynne Ingr and The Dears' Murray Lightburn. It's probably no coincidence that more than one song on Learning To Live On Poison would fit well in The Dears' catalogue. In alternating moments, McCarthy and company also sound similar to Doves and Joseph Arthur.
Learning To Live On Poison has the tendency to sneak by unnoticed if you listen to it while engaged in another task. This is by no means a bad album, but it requires the investment of a significant amount time and attention before there's any payoff. This is the sort of disc you'll throw on when you want something inoffensive playing in the background."
Quelle:
http://www.chartattack.com/reviews/70563/archivist-learning-to-live-on-poison