Music For Winter Vol. 1 Review

 

    Winter is the season usually associated with the holidays and being around loved ones, but with the onset of the pandemic it was unlike any festive season in recent memory. Another Sky, a relatively new band in the alternative and indie rock scene, has delivered a new EP that explores the other feelings accompanied with isolation and the darkness of winter. They have crafted a solid glimpse into the emotions and turmoil the band felt after being alone for so long and have done well to utilize their daunting sound to deliver a project that is very complete, if not slightly jading to the listener at times. Music For Winter Vol. 1 is an endearing EP with some great themes and some promising signs of what might be in the future for Another Sky.

    The one thing that is immediately striking are the vocals delivered by Catrin Vincent. Able to sound like an androgynous angel and then a powerful, booming masculine figure, many might be confused and assume the vocalist of Another Sky is one of the other guys in the band. Catrin Vincent’s voice and range are unlike anything that has been gracing the genre, and this is quite apparent throughout the album. The first track on this EP “Pieces” shows us her vocal qualities immediately. Beginning slow with some somber guitar chords and soon being spirited away by a strong, sorrowful bassline and evanescent drums, Vincent sings in a gorgeous, ethereal tone throughout the first half of the song. The chords are deep and driven by intense emotions, sounding so textured and very powerful as the song progresses. The instrumentation picks up during the latter half of the track, with everything becoming more and more immense, and Vincent’s vocals also change to the more masculine, deeper toned voice conveying a sense of more angst and passion. “Sun Seeker” is a cut that shows us some fantastic songwriting from the group. Catrin sings in a super high pitched, intoxicating angelic voice “The sun comes up and colors the town, in a light it fights against, to tear itself down, How strong I stand in your hurricane, how you pull me in, how I turn away, I take the world in my hands.” The song is about finding “the sun” in the sense that Catrin, or whoever the track is about was in a bad relationship, feeling trapped by this other person and wanting to be free. She sings a metaphor about being “A bird in your cage” and later crooning “I say who I am and say when I’m done.” The structure and lyrics are quite beautiful and elicit some powerful emotions. The other distinguished elements on this cut are the chord progressions, with the bass steadying the rhythm and the acoustic notes hitting with grace, mellowed energy and fleeting sadness.

    Tracks such as “Blood Love” showcase more instrumentation qualities and textures like evanescencent piano keys and some brilliant string sounds as well. The keys are light as a feather and almost hard to make out from the rest of the sorrow-filled sounds, but this adds to the blended emotions each instrument gives off. The drums are relaxing and clear in tone, while the bassline and guitar chords are more melted together, giving this track unbelievable depth. Vincent’s vocals also fluctuate much more, with her angelic harmonies and oozing confidence constantly playing tag with the other, able to elevate the track to grander beauty with the orchestral chords accenting her higher notes or the piano keys complimenting her deeper tones. “Was I Unkind” features and infatuating piano progression that rides with Vincent’s divine, sorrowful voice. The track is pretty minimalistic sonically, with only the piano keys and some intermittent string melodies, along with the occasional guitar chord and scarce percussion. The outro part of this song does see the instrumentation change for the last minute or so, with some added basslines and snares to round it off. The vocals are the highlight of “Was I Unkind?” Catrin sounds incredibly evocative and celestial, filling the listener’s ears with an array of notes, pitches and ranges that are all emotionally charged and indescribably beautiful.  She sings “A solitary angel grew on my windowsill, I’ve never seen something so alive, stay still, Doesn’t know it only grows toward the sun in vain, I don’t know how to show those I live I’m always in pain. Catrin Vincent has stated in an interview on Broadway World that the song was written about a plant that she had and how it accidently died, so the song is a metaphor for how she treated herself, with the plant being symbolic of her. Vincent said “I realized I was as trapped in the world as the plant was, at the mercy of myself. The Winter Solstice is a time of death and rebirth.” We can see that the theme of the EP is about the desolation of the winter months, with this cut and its lyrics showing us that, but in many cultures the winter is also a time of rebirth. Catrin and her bandmates went through some emotional difficulties, and ultimately healed from their time alone and came together to then record this EP. “It Keeps Coming” finishes off the project and present yet again are Vincent’s dualistic vocal inflections, but the instrumentation is much more upbeat, with some eccentric guitar and bass chords. The percussion is electric and riveting and the other textures added are quite gorgeous. The name of the track is repeatedly sung during the chorus, and it is amazing. Catrin sounds fantastic and the rapid and rising sounds really make this cut an engaging, head-bobbing vibe.

    This EP was a decent metaphor for what the winter months are like especially in the midst of a global pandemic. Another Sky is very unique in that each member gushes quality and bravado, able to compliment the other with their punctuating sound and emotions. The instrumentation was appealing and engineered well, even if the overall sound of this project was dark and brooding, leaving a feeling of jaded quality. Catrin Vincent is a one of a kind vocal savant, able to harmonize and sing with elegance and unmatched beauty. The concept of winter loneliness and the emotional turmoil that it can lead to on this EP was a worthy attempt, perhaps slightly missing the mark with the ambiguous songwriting and hindered by only having six tracks to accomplish this idea. Overall, Another Sky has crafted a solid EP that contains quality songs and aims to deliver a commendable theme, even if Music For Winter Vol. 1 fails to hit the nail on the head with every element it contains.

 

 

Score: 6/10