Review Summary: live dreamy indie-rock to put a little bit of smile on your face
The Ambersons: a six-piece band which is well-known and well-established in the North West of England (Warrington, to be more specific), drawing from The Beatles, Blur and Super Furry Animals for their own musical ventures. My point is that, uh,
you’ve probably never heard of them. Fair dos — their low-key presence didn’t beget popularity outside the UK, yet their numerous live gigs clearly show that they have what it takes to become widely talked about. The Ambersons are hard-workers, full of talent and passion for music; their slow output of official material, long hiatus in the middle of the 2010s and the general issue of UK artists not being visible enough in the worldwide music sphere are probably to blame for their lack of popularity. Fret not, dear reader(s): The Ambersons have dropped
Winter Songs Act I, a collection of seven live performances of already-released songs, on our collective laps and it’s high time we listen and parse.
Despite their stated musical influences,
Winter Songs Act I skews closer to Aimee Mann’s indie-rock affections, at least based on first impressions; consistently warm in atmosphere and instrumentally dense, each of the seven songs on the record stretch their grooves and melodies rather than provide quick
punches or
pops, as one would expect from a project consisting of live material.
Winter Songs Act I is less of a showcase of immediately arresting songs and more of a confirmation of how synergic the band is: from Midge Fairnington’s clear vocal cadences down to Rick McLaughlin’s drum work, the actual musicianship showcased here is impressive and it doesn’t take long to realize it.
Winter Songs Act I starts sure-footed; ‘A Little Love’ and ‘Miraculous’ come out swinging with captivating melodies, with the former being driven by its insistent drum patterns and the latter largely benefiting from its saxophone touches that turn an already romantic number into a jazz-fusion waltz. Both are vast improvements from their respective studio versions. There’s more where that came from, too: ‘Doodlebugs’ and ‘Vampyres’ offer an orchestral sheen to the record on top of their indie stylings —with ‘Doodlebug’’s closing minute being an obvious highlight— and they’re vocally performed with a conviction that is impossible to not win you over. Closer ‘For My Love’ furthers this blend of indie pop-rock with orchestral arrangements, providing the dreamiest chorus and most cinematic and sweeping instrumentation of the album.
Romantic and dreamy are perfect descriptors for
Winter Songs Act I; its genre is difficult to pin down (labels be damned) but, as stated above, The Ambersons work wonders when they mix indie rock with sprawling arrangements that evoke the orchestral soundtracks of films. The original studio versions of these songs lean more towards a straightforward alternative rock sound instead; no shade towards that direction — I just feel like they express more chemistry and kineticism in the music that most of
Winter Songs Act I presents. “Most of” being the unfortunate key-word here: the remaining two unmentioned tracks are the obvious weak links of the album. ‘Oh, My Isabelle’ is fun and blends a bit of pub-rock into its sound, but its upbeat, swinging instrumentation breaks the reverie of the opening songs and comes at odds with the record’s overall dreamy quality, feeling out of place within this tracklist. On the other hand, ‘Little Soldier Girl’ meanders for about four minutes; its slow-paced, meditative feel is the most forgettable one on the record and despite a few instrumental touches towards the end, it slips into one ear and out the other when all is said and done.
Shortcomings aside, there’s no denying you should keep a closer eye on The Ambersons. Recommending this debut record as someone’s first exposure to the band sounded like a tough sell at first (as it’s basically a collection of live performances) but the talent on display is non-negotiable;
Winter Songs Act I offers such a fresh perspective on their original material, a knack for lovely melodies and starry indie-rock sounds as well as undeniable chemistry within the members. Channeling that energy and orchestral feel into their studio material seems like the perfect next move. Their underground presence begs only one question: are
we going to jump on the train to witness it?
