Charleston has been ridiculously hot this weekend, which makes it a little ironic to be writing about The Long Winters. John Roderick and his band haven’t released an album in three years, and this hiatus adds to the anticipation for their upcoming July 25th release, Putting the Days to Bed (Barsuk Records). In a recent interview with a Barsuk intern, Roderick said he tries to write songs that make you feel like you’ve been talking to someone really interesting in an airport, and he succeeds in that each of his songs tells a story that stands out from all the rest. Even though Roderick thinks of himself as a klutzy ding-dong, his music is anything but awkward.
The new album opens with Pushover - an upbeat track that marries electric and acoustic guitars with great drums and harmonizing vocals. The song sets the stage for a solid indie-pop-rock album that’s a little tricky to describe. Normally, I can comfortably compare one band to another, but The Long Winters is a different story. Their sound is unique. The closest comparison I can make is that the record sounds a little like Son Volt and Counting Crows mixed together in a blender – but without Jay Farrar’s stoic seriousness and Adam Durtitz’s fixation on rain.
But enough about blenders.
The fourth track, Hindsight, is one of my favorites on the album, and it supplies the record's name with the line, now you’re just putting the days to bed. The song poses some interesting questions (Are you still training for the big race by hoping the runners will die?) and has a laidback comfortable melody, which creates a lushness that you’ll want to play over and over again.
Then the record shifts gears with the up-tempo Sky is Open - a track about airports, propellers, pilots and flight. Soaring with building ascendance, the song actually has an air-travel feel about it. Without the turbulence and nausea.
And since we’re already in the air, I’m going to segue into Clouds, another great track with harmonizing vocals and layers of acoustic guitar and (what I think is a) banjo. This is Leah’s favorite, and she always sings along with the line, we’re a kiss away from being dangerous. John Roderick's vocals are much better, however...
Alternatively, the track that makes me sing is the fastest of the album, (It’s a) Departure. This song sounds great in my Jeep, with the top down and volume up. This morning I found myself belting out the lyrics – I like the old days, but not all the old days / Only the Good Old Days! With rockin’ guitars riffs and blaring horns, this track makes the world fall away for the three minutes it plays, and any time a song makes you forget about everything else, you know the artist is doing something right.
From beginning to end, Putting the Days to Bed delivers a variance of songs and moods that effectively weave an well-crafted tapestry of sound and story. John Roderick has made the three-year wait worthwhile. Now I just hope The Long Winters come to Charleston and cool things down a bit.
Downloads:
The Long Winters | Pushover [MP3]
The Long Winters | More MP3s
