By Steve Gillespie / managing editor
The Winter Sounds debut album, “Porcelain Empire,” is due for release on June 26.
The initial sound beginning with the first track on the CD (“Windy City Nights”) sounded like Dick Dale jamming with The Monkees and REM.
Whether you consider that good or bad, the guitar player is a Dick Dale fan according to Patrick Keenan, who writes the songs, or at least gets them started, sings and plays bass for the band.
Mostly there’s a major ‘80s sound woven through this album.
In a telephone interview Keenan acknowledged the ‘80s sound as well as groups you would think would be way ahead of the band members’ and their parents’ time — The Beatles, Beach Boys and Kingston Trio!
Based out of Athens, Ga., The Winter Sounds have recorded with Livewire Records.
“We found each other in the studio in January of last year,” Keenan said.
Some of the band members had worked as studio musicians. They started touring in August. On Saturday The Winter Sounds come to Meridian to play at Meridian Underground Music Exchange.
About the songs
Keenan calls most of the writing process collaborative.
“I write a lot of the songs but they’re not finished songs until the band gets hold of them,” he said.
The group plans to tour through September and Keenan hopes to be back in the studio after that.
Live, Keenan says they are energetic, uptempo.
“We try to duplicate the sound of our album but with a lot more intensity,” Keenan said.
Some songs getting attention from radio stations and highlighted in the band’s bio from the record label are: “The Great Forgotten”; “Poor Sailors” called “a synth-pop dirge”; and “The Earthworm Song.”
Livewire says “The Winter Sounds create an alluring sound tapestry that chills to the bone at times, but somehow always leaves a sublimely angelic impression ...”
I’d go along with that.
But my favorite tracks on the album are “Static in the Whole,” “Minnesota” and “The Tournament of Getting Older.”
Keenan and I talked about them.
“I want static in the whole world ...”
“Static was a song based on an overload of information,” he said. “We had an audition with a label. It was exciting. We worked so hard. When it came to that point we blew it.”
It’s not only about an overload of emotion, but, being overloaded with information.
“I read a lot and there’s so much being written on politics (and other things) it’s hard to know what’s going on,” he said.
It’s one of those songs where you can feel their pain and frustration.
“Close your eyes and let the country in ...”
The song “Minnesota” came about after a scheduling snafu sent the band out on long stretches of road between dates that left them having to literally camp out to try to stay ahead economically.
It’s also about childhood feelings and chasing dreams that are unattainable.
It’s a good song. If Keenan sang it about 50 octaves lower it sounds like it would have worked on the Crash Test Dummies’ first album.
“I’m talking &*@! but I don’t know why ...”
I kept calling this song the TORMENT of getting older when Keenan and I talked but it’s “The Tournament of Getting Older” and it’s about how at the end of the day sometimes you’re really tormented in your mind, the competition of the rat race, having friends with careers while you’re pursuing your dreams on the road living out of a van. It’s a good, powerful, interesting song.
