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Performer Magazine: Win Win Winter CD Review

posted Jul 1st 2008, 01:29

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Win Win Winter

A Brief History Of...

www.winwinwinter.com

by Lindsey Ibarra

With influences ranging from the classic rock of Pink Floyd and The Beatles to the experimental stylings of Beck, Tampa, Fla.’s Win Win Winter are carving a sound for themselves based on southerntouched riffs and sweeping lyrical builds. Combining the indie melodies of D.C. post-punks Dismemberment Plan with the raw twang of Wilco, members Tommy Simms, Matthew Bennett, Alan Relkin, Brian Schnack and Joshua Greenberg have barely been together a year but have already played some of Florida’s biggest festivals, sharing the stage with Spoon, Minus the Bear, Dresden Dolls, Mates of State and The Stills.

A Brief History Of... marks the group’s first EP on Tampa-based indie label 24 Hour Service Station and is a solid outing from the Florida fivesome. Effortlessly transitioning from quiet country melodies to up-tempo pop, the songs all build and break at several points within their time allotment, creating a consistently undulating feel throughout the record. Attempting to maintain a juxtaposed mood with lyrics and melodies, it ends up that the one far outshines the other. It is the combination of Simms’ and Relkin’s fluctuating guitars that draws you in more so than the vocals, which can seem a bit too high-pitched and out of place at times. Midway through “Doves and Uppercuts,” the group nails it with Relkin and drummer Matthew Bennett creating a gorgeous sound scape over which Simms’ vocals float perfectly, and you’re left wishing that sound would have filled all five minutes of the song rather than just the last two.

By far the strongest track on the EP is “Exit Rows.” Captivating you immediately with a building synth and easing into a bit of bluesy guitar, the track perfectly exemplifies the balance of experimentalism and classicism you could feel the group had been striving for from their opening song. This is the point where all five members’ singular talents

finally meld together to form a cohesive and moving piece of music.

Although it’s easy to say that these boys are simply riding the coattails of other southern crafted rockers like My Morning Jacket, the brightest spots on A Brief History Of... solidify that the group is well on its way to finding and honing that balanced sound that will set them apart. Experimental enough to capture the attention of discerning musical tastes, and yet not so much so that it makes them inaccessible, Win Win Winter are more than poised to successfully build on what those before them have laid out. (24 Hour Service Station)