“The Wilderness of Manitoba is something much bigger than one man's journey. Hymns of Love and Spirits is stark and powerful, warmed with spot on effortlessly controlled four part harmonies. Similar vocal interplay could be found on countless, classic folk recordings, but more importantly it gives insight into the talent of these young singers. With all the vocal folk acts catching praise these days, I love how Wilderness of Manitoba refuses to beef up the sound or move away from the comfort of a walking pace. When you really sit down with the songs, you feel the impact of a group of young musicians working through life's hardest hands.” Herohill

“I know that there's still another half-year or so of albums yet to be released, and I know that it's probably a bit early to be thinking of Polaris ballots. But in the first six months of the current Polaris period, there are only two albums that have made it to the "slam dunk pick". That leaves a wide open field for other, equally worthy albums to come out of nowhere and wow me...which is exactly what Hymns... has done. What Hymns of Love and Spirits lacks in volume, however, it more than makes up for in sheer "being awesome"-ness. Every single one of the tracks is completely and utterly gorgeous. While the album may not deviate too much from a standard template of hushed vocals and softly strummed acoustic guitar, there's no sense messing with simplicity when it yields such near-perfect results. Whether it'll be enough to carry Hymns... all the way to a Polaris vote or two remains to be seen, but with so much talent on display here, you'd be foolish to write The Wilderness of Manitoba off completely.” i (heart) music

“Absolutely stunning. After listening to this album a staggering number of times since receiving it, I've come to the conclusion that Hymns of Love and Spirits is a combination of the best parts of two of last year's breakout bands, Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver. The foxes-esque 4 part vocal harmonies are apparent from right out of the gate, but its the Bon Iver-esque strain and heartache that lingers under the surface through those harmonies that makes them meaningful... all those emotions that come from the heartbreak of losing a loved one are palpable. If there's a bright side to all of this, it’s that the music that has emerged from the pain is something the likes of which I haven't heard this year. I'm thinking we might have a new front runner for Best Album of 2009.” Burgeoning Metropolis

“Fuelled by gorgeous, effortless four-part harmonies and gently plucked banjo, Hymns of Love and Spirits leaves us imagining amazing things to come for this folkie, stripped-down Toronto five-piece. This is a warm, lo-fi, earnest EP of stunning voices raised in tribute.” Now Magazine

“Every now and then something or someone gets through the cracks, rises above the general morass and makes you sit up and take stock, even for just a few minutes. From the moment I hit play on The Wilderness of Manitoba’s latest EP ‘Hymns of Love and Spirits’, I knew I was hooked. There’s a stark understated beauty to its 8 tracks, which combine perfectly executed four part harmonies intertwined with muted banjos, solitary cello and subtle finger-picked parts. There’s a clear homage to the ‘classics’: Joni, Neil and CSNY, but the heavily reverbed guitars and slow pace also call to mind slowcore lynchpins Red House Painters and, to an extent Neil Halsted’s Mojave 3.” The Line Of Best Fit

“You can almost feel a soft chill as the songs flutter between your ears, but beneath the mournful vibe there’s some great music to be heard. It’s hard to pick a highlight, as the songs seem to combine together resulting in a 30 minute session of quiet genius. Listening to this CD for many people will be like stepping back into the 1960’s, to a time when folk music was a prime genre and was written as well as The Wilderness of Manitoba do.” Pure Grain Audio

“I know full well that the argument can (and probably will) be made that Toronto’s The Wilderness of Manitoba don’t sound like anything new. The most obvious benchmarks are Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and Simon & Garfunkel; they’re certainly not the first to strike upon the notion of blending harmonious choirs and gentle acoustic folk, but for my money, The Wilderness of Manitoba are by far making the most interestingly beautiful music of the bunch. That’s what makes The Wilderness of Manitoba so special: the timelessness of the music. Their harmonies and sombre instrumental arrangements hearken back to the heyday of folk and beyond. There’s nothing masking the stark beauty of Hymns of Love and Spirits, one of the best albums by a Canadian band this year.” Quick Before It Melts

“The Wilderness of Manitoba comes with a very clear and direct mandate – to craft gentle, intricate folk songs of the sort that no one seems to make anymore. The Wilderness Of Manitoba still manages to stand tall amongst its peers, however, and stand out. Obviously drawing inspiration from both the English and American folk revivals of the 1960s, they place an emphasis on choral vocals that give the mini-album a certain dreamy quality that splits the difference between spiritual and ghostly. It’s a record that drifts by prettily, seemingly untethered from earthly concerns yet tangible enough to still carry a very real emotional heft. It haunts, like a fond but faded memory.” Chromewaves

“The Wilderness of Manitoba continues the growing indie-folk tradition with a strong selection of acoustic songs carried in large part by their use of vocal harmony and simple, stunning melodies that clearly reference traditional American folk. Ever since its rise to prominence in the folk revival of the 1960s, the genre has carried a strong ethic of independence and raw intimacy. At its heart, the home-recorded lo-fi Hymns of Love and Spirits EP is a throwback to that quest for an intimacy often hard to come by in modern urban spaces. The calm and ease that permeates the band's songs are a testimony to the musicians' obvious talent and skill. This EP is just the beginning. As the band prepares to release its first full-length album in 2010, The Wilderness of Manitoba ought to be kept on the radar.” The Strand

“The buzz around local dreamy folk group the Wilderness of Manitoba continues to build in some pretty likely places, and it's easy to see why: their debut EP, Hymns of Love and Spirits, is an ethereal, reverb-soaked, finger-picking slumber party with lush harmonies and sad overtones. Something lingers after the hypnotic Red House Painters pacing of "Dreamcatchers", an existential monologue one can only have after a monumental personal loss, or the throwback minor-key simplicity of "Evening," a mash up between a best-of folk compilation that Time Life might release and every over-sensitive indie fan's iPod. The roots of the very reason and sound of this band and this EP are in this track. It's a small—but heavy—gesture that instills a quiet solemnity and reflection from which none of us are ever fully exempt.” Torontoist.com: Sound Advice

“Hymns of Love & Spirits is an amazing EP. Take a listen to "Bluebirds," the gorgeous opener, and then weigh the fact that "Bluebirds" isn't even the best song on the EP. That honour goes to "Crow's Feet", a heartbreaking number that doesn't so much chronicle love lost as love never discovered as vocalist Will Whitwham intones ‘Love's just a word that he learned how to speak.’ While the seven songs included on Hymns are primarily acoustic, calling this a folk record would be a disservice to the band and to the genre. This is an amazing album - regardless of length.” Ear To The Sound

“Hymns of Love & Spirits is a chamber-folk record that is as haunting as it is comforting. A rich, lush listen, the EP highlights the band’s deft vocal harmonies and patient acoustics. While the Wilderness of Manitoba might be mistaken as a sombre act, Hymns of Love & Spirits reveals how beautiful its haunting presence is.” Pop Matters

“Wilderness of Manitoba is cultivating a sound that is pure Canadiana. It's a sound that has flown through some of the finest bands in this great country for decades. There is no reason why they shouldn't be playing the best venues along side the likes of Neil Young or the Great Lakes Swimmers. Gorgeous harmonies, and a moving cover of Helplessly Hoping made this one of the best shows I've seen all year.” Birdstootiredtofly.com

“The night really belonged to the Wilderness of Manitoba. I mean, this part of T.O. is their hood, I think, so it's fitting and it makes sense, but the minute they set into their first multi-part harmony it felt like the room just stopped... like everyone, collectively, had just been stunned. I've heard their album/EP, Hymns of Love & Spirits (pick of the week #36) and said it was one of my favourites of the year (and it is b-t-w), but somehow, in the age of autotune when things aren't always what they seem, you never really know if artists are actually as good as they sound recorded. They were that good, and then some. In fact, if wouldn't surprise me in the least if they had told me they recorded their entire album in one take. My buddy Don said that he thought these guys are on to big things, and I couldn't agree more, the only barrier for them, really, is going to be getting people to see/hear them and if they do, you'll be able to say you heard it here (or somewhere else) first!” NXEW blog

“The Wilderness Of Manitoba got some face time here last week and were certainly a big part of the draw for this show. Though still a relatively new act, the word of mouth around them and the harmony-laden folk songs of their debut mini-album Hymns Of Love And Spirits has been spreading quickly so there was a pretty good size crowd assembled for their performance. And, indeed, the harmonies were pretty impressive – not divine, as the more hyperbolic might want to believe, but certainly rich and well-arranged. They brought more to the table than just their voices, though, and tastefully filled out their sound with cello, singing bowls and ukulele in addition to the more traditional guitar, bass and drums. As with the preceding band, I found the live Wilderness Of Manitoba more engaging than the recorded one, mostly thanks to the additional sonic weight of the live instrumentation – whereas Hymns seems to float above, on stage they sounded decidedly more anchored and some of the new material would certainly seem to demand that extra oomph. I know the EP just came out but I look forward to hearing what they do next.” Chromewaves

“The Wilderness of Manitoba draws from the same folkie harmony-worshiping, cite-CSN-as-an-influence waters as your Fleet Foxes and your Bon Ivers. The band's sound featured cello, banjo, ukulele and occasional keening, high falsetto. Launching with images of bluebirds singing and autumn leaves, the songs were dominated by earthy imagery and woody sounds. I was drawn in by what they're doing — especially when the harmonies hit.” Mechanical Forest Sound blog

“The night started off appropriately with the gorgeous vocal harmonies and instrumentation of a newer Toronto band, The Wilderness of Manitoba. Very quickly they created a happy, calm mood with their nature-inspired songs. At moments they reminded me of Fleet Foxes; at others, of Great Lake Swimmers. "Evening" was a set highlight, as was their last song. Overall, a pleasing opening set that made them a good number of new fans. As I write this I'm listening to their first EP. It's not yet officially out, but those of us at the show got a chance to pick it up. It's great. I may listen to it all night. I look forward to seeing how this band develops.” Narratives blog

“The Wilderness of Manitoba really caught my attention because of their simplistic approach, resulting in beautiful music. The very first song they played featured a track of birdsong in the background, followed by acoustic guitar (Bluebirds). Great music for when you just want to chill out. The band was also super cool.” DJ Won’t You Play My Song blog

“The Wilderness of Manitoba has delivered an EP of stripped down folk that relies on gorgeous three and four piece harmonies to grab your attention. Most of the tunes don’t move faster than a snail’s pace, allowing a slightly plucked banjo to lead the way. What it lacks in speed, it makes up for in substance. One of the standout tunes is “Crow’s Feet,” a song that reminds me of something I would hear on an album by The Low Anthem. Evening” is another great track that was written by the mother of lead singer, Will Whitwham, in the 60s. And while I have never heard the original, this version comes off as a poignant tribute to his mom. If you enjoy bands like Megafaun, Fleet Foxes, Frontier Ruckus and Horse Feathers, you’ll enjoy spinning this splendid EP.” Hear Ya, U.S. blog

“The Wilderness of Manitoba’s music is an obvious product of precise and meticulous care, determination and drive. Their sound is meditative, like a slow-motion sunrise translated into music. The melodies don’t so much weave as bloom, slowly and graciously rising. There’s likely going to be some reviewer who gushes about how the album sounds timeless and could have been made 100 years ago or something, but the band easily displays that folk music, though it has its roots in the past, is still an evolving genre.” Grubtunes blogspot

“On their record Hymns Of Love And Spirits, The Wilderness Of Manitoba play just the kind of harmonious, sweet sounding, lonely-folk-in-a-cabin music that has become so popular over the past 18 months or so. However, these guys have so much of their own going for them that you can put those too-easy comparisons to one side, and just enjoy the songs for what they are - perfectly realised songs of unadorned warmth.” The Red Mackerel, UK blog

“Move over Rural Alberta Advantage, we have another Toronto band named after a part of Canada they don't live in. Meet The Wilderness of Manitoba. This Toronto 5-piece plays melodic, ghostly folk reminiscent of the much ballyhooed Fleet Foxes. Their new EP, Hymns of Love and Spirits definitely conveys the feeling of isolation that the vast Canadian frontier instills in us.” Snobs Music blog

“The rise in geographical band name references caused me to glance over these guys at first. The Wilderness of Manitoba has such a mature folk sound. Their sound is incredibly authentic and natural. It's easy to imagine the crackling of a fireplace and warm beverages being served with their music playing in the background. The Wilderness' Hymns of Spirit and Love is a soothing collection of tracks that will warm up your cool autumn evenings.” Bridging The Atlantic blog