Even though I’ve been dreading it and secretly willing Mother Nature not to let it happen for months now, it’s been getting colder out. I’m seeing more jackets, scarves, Uggs, and even some full coats as I ride the bus along Michigan Avenue. Fall is finally hitting us. In a way, it’s depressing…well, it’s always depressing when we realize that storefronts no longer have doors open, the beaches exist without people relaxing on them, and waiting for the bus or the train seems to take an extra 15 minutes because of the wind. In another way, fall is exciting. Yuppies just love excuses to get out there and buy new wardrobes. Ladies get to bust out the aforementioned Uggs again…or buy new ones. That new “this is nothing in comparison to what’s coming in a month” smell hits the air. Albums like Winter Songs start hitting shelves–ooh, wait, sorry, not too tech savvy there–they start getting clicked on and pirated illegally.
Honestly, the first song to waft into the ears is ‘Snow Day,’ and it’s quite pleasant. It has a wistful, constant, tapping drum beat that lays the ground work while softly strummed cords give the illusion of windy happiness. Basically, it has a very winter-y sound, which, I guess, is the point. It’s a great song to listen to while people-watching from a bus window and a good pace-setting song for the beginning of a set of ‘em.
Unfortunately, some of the other songs don’t have that windy wonderment that the first one possesses. The entertainment factor is there, but the songs are not quite as engaging. For instance, ‘I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight’ is almost deterring to listen to. It has a decent basic tempo, but it never changes. It has a chipper, upbeat feel to it, but not enough of it. The lyrics kind of fall through the cracks too with their cliche-ness and inability to make me care.
There are two wonderfully done instrumentals on the EP that keep me listening, though. The musicianship gets high marks with its ability to literally make me feel excited about the prospect of winter, which is no easy feat. ‘Fall Two’ just has this aura about it, this essence of white and light blue that gives me an I’m-really-happy-but-also-really-depressed feel in my gut. ‘Winter One’ does the same thing, but in a darker, more down-trodden way. Its slower tempo and darker cords make me feel how I would feel if I had to walk across a snow-covered field in Chuck Taylors.
The group does a few covers for the EP that aren’t too bad. They transform Lyndsey Buckingham’s ‘Holiday Road’ from a hap, hap, happy upbeat road trip song into a play-in-the-leaves, sled-down-the-hill-and-crash-and-laugh-about-it song by extracting the drums and adding a lot of the same type of guitar playing they feature in ‘Snow Day.’
Matt Pond PA has been doing this for almost 10 years now. I couldn’t possibly say that they don’t have talent because I would be lying intentionally to cover the fact that a part of me really likes the sound these guys create…normally liking heavier stuff and all. As far as song craft, Pond has it down. Some of the stuff on ‘Winter Songs’ just doesn’t tickle my fancy. That’s not to say, however, that someone else’s fancy can’t be pinched and jabbed in a playful way by it. It’s playful music! If you’re looking for something to listen to on a cold day that you weren’t expecting, put it on. If you’re in a more up-tempo mood, save it for another time.
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Comment by joiezabel — October 25, 2007 @ 3:23 pm
i think it’s a boring album…not bad, just nothing special either. and that’s my 2 cents.