Review Summary: Melodic "space rock" melded with punk-pop sensibility and great vocals.
The manner through which I learned about Last Winter is a bit embarrassing. There were a couple songs I heard on MTV's Laguna Beach (yes I am probably dumber for watching that show) that I wanted to find out more about. Interestingly enough two of the former Blink182 band members and current Plus 44! members, Mark and Travis, are responsible for a lot of the music choices on Laguna Beach which explains why a lot of the bands they choose to use are from the modern rock genre.
Well one of the bands I discovered was a band by the name of Last Winter, a relatively undiscovered, absolute gem of a band. Their music could be described loosely as "space-rock"; highly melodic atmospheric emotional sounding music. One of the signature highly delayed, echoed guitar riffs present throughout the album occurs on the song "Girl Next Door" that instantly describes the sonic texture at work throughout the entire album even though that specific song is only available on the Japanese import. This song like a number of the songs focuses on love not realized:
"Just say you love me, just say you love me. I'll always be here waiting. You were always so much more than the girl next door. Just sew your arms around me know"
The lyrics are rather simplistic but they emotion and skill with which they are sung makes for up it. Just two songs later we get crunchier but still melodic guitars more indicative of a hard rock band on one of the signature tracks both lyrically and musically "Starlight Drive"
"Ignorant and dreaming on Starlight Drive. Ignorance is bliss now so let it go. And if we leave today we can drive all tonight"
"Standing Here" Opens with beautifully echoed guitar guitar picking that definitely has that "space-like" sound to it. Another lyrically simplistic song but it makes good use of obvious imagery to complement the songs sound:
"Starlit, im already losing it
when you left an hour ago
and the stars are bright but i
miss you i just cant hide it"
The next track is the amazing "chasing lights" with quick staccato guitar chord changes. What really makes this track is the vocal emotion and range displayed in the chorus
"now I've given up.
Wouldn't you.
We gave it time but you took over.
You'd say we wasted our time
I gave you mine you left me nothing"
The vocals throughout album are typically towards the higher end of the register ala bands like Anberlin. But it provides a nice contrast to some of the lower range guitar chords used.
"Summer in Illinois" is one of the weaker tracks but it gives way to "Vela to Norma" which is one of the harder rock songs on the album. Think Edgewater or Pressure 4-5 type guitars. The lyrics match the sonic mood of the album on this song as the lead singer Cameron sings:
"cascades burn as they light the way to open hearts. celestial eyes unfold. map the stars from left to right, miracle my eyes stay closed and i wait for so long a brilliant fading spinning off into the amber sky a gentle sting above horizons"
"Don't Forget to Write" is the acoustic ballad song that I think anyone would like even if they didn't like the musical stylings used in the other songs. This is the song that I heard on Laguna beach and it fit in perfectly for the scene they used with the bittersweet vocals and lyrics:
"Im barely alive. Though miles may come between us. You're always and forever on my mind. When you go dont forget to write. You're the best that ever happened, I never would imagine you would change my life"
"December" is balladish in its slower tempo but uses darker chrunchy guitars to open the song followed by some high register vocals and melodic guitar picking which explodes into the great chorus
"The sky fell between my
young and careless eyes
braiding myself in
The red December sky
colors never change
I remember Last December
memories enver change "
"Made For TV" sounds like the typical poppy up tempo punk-pop song in the verses but once again comes with a solid chorus.
Maybe Tomorrow, For all Times, Autograph, Aperture and Made for TV round out this amazing CD. Their sound isn't completely original, but then again who is nowadays? I can't remember hearing a CD with such a prominent atmospheric space like quality to it that was done so well. What matters most is that the sound is amazing and present on every single song on the album. Lyrically they aren't amazing but definitely have their moments.
Definitely worth a listen.
BEST SONGS: Girl Next Door, Chasing Daylight, Starlight Drive, Vela to Norma, Don't Forget to Write, December, For All times, Made for TV
Band pages:
www.purevolume.com/lastwinter Listen to almost all the songs here at purevolume
www.myspace.com/lastwinter Myspace page
www.lastwinter.com
