‘Echo of Youth’ whilst explores different compositional pathways and has developed immensely since ‘All But the Sun’, still pays homage to the Winterbourne I first met on Pitt Street about 6 years ago.
“ We always want the singing and storytelling to be the main focus, rather than the cool sounds. ”
‘Echo of Youth’, the debut album of Aussie folk duo Winterbourne, was released on Friday 23rd of August; what a day for Australian music.
Jordan Brady and James Draper are the familiar faces behind this album, who I first came across busking at Pitt Street Mall in 2014 just before the release of their first EP, ‘All But the Sun’.
Living in Sydney, busking is not a rare sight. What is rare however, is to have people stop in the middle of an arcade while two kids knock out a cover of “Mrs Robinson”. The first time I heard these two, the city seemed so incredibly quiet. Whether or not every single person waiting in line for a pair of Ugg boots or fancy chocolate actually shut up and listened I can’t really say, but it sure as hell felt like it. From the get-go there was always something about these two … and their milk crate.
I know we’re here to talk about ‘Echo Of Youth’, and I’ll get to that, but I think it’s important to understand where these guys started. From the intricate guitar voicings and heart wrenching lyricism of ‘All But the Sun’ to the exploration of a bigger sound through ‘Pendulum’, what remains in the evolution of the Winterbourne phenomenon is an innate ability to craft some of the most poignant ballads pertaining to Australian youth. I know that their following now reaches far further than here, but their songwriting is so incredibly Australian – we see this in the works of Josh Pyke, Didirri and Kim Churchill also. I don’t know what it is, perhaps it’s the melancholia which often finds itself hidden behind acoustic guitars and harmonicas, but it is totally captivating all the same.
After years of cultivating a live presence akin to that of seasoned troubadours, whilst dropping tastes of what was to come in delightful EPs, Winterbourne have grown both in number and in style with their release of debut album, ‘Echo of Youth’.
I first listened to this album start to finish on Saturday morning. I had a car and an hours drive ahead of me; I think that is probably the best way to listen to an album, it’s either that or right before you go to sleep.
This 12 track release is filled to the brim with dreamy 60s vibes, and so in turn I found it to be nostalgic of both musical influence, and its regard for audience connectivity and reflection. I imagine this album to be this giant organic entity that takes your hand and leads you home; its overall sound is familiar and warm, and whilst I don’t think it could really every be background music, it most certainly lends itself to sound tracking some beachy road trip or even a late night walk.
‘Echo of Youth’ demands attention by tapping into some pretty hefty themes that each of its songs generously exude; things like bittersweet acceptance, isolation, anxiety and undying hope — as if to remind the listener of their own experience of growing up. These songs whilst incredibly personal, offer this sense of connectivity and invite the listener to sit down next to them like old friends; without sounding like a pretentious twat any further, surely this is what music is all about.
As a serial album listener from start to finish and self-proclaimed “mixtape organiser extraordinaire”, the album is structured in a way that fosters a both a natural progression between sonic environments, with an equally natural flow between different energy levels that each song emanates. There is this delicious pushing and pulling of music which leaves the listener completely satisfied upon reaching the title track, but simultaneously ready to start it all over again.
You can really hear the work put into this album, and it has paid off. I reckon new and old followers of Winterbourne will be able to appreciate this and share in the celebration of ‘Echo of Youth”s creation. The production of the entire piece is exciting and fresh, whereby textural changes are key to the album’s most musical moments. There are sections of really big music, some pretty tight transitions to sparser soundscapes and some killer folky drops. Folky drops- not a phrase I thought I’d use but we’ll go with it.
1. Revolutionary, Man
The opening track, ‘Revolutionary, Man’ is, for lack of a better word, awesome. It’s bold and colourful in sound, exactly the way an opening track should be. We get this introductory guitar motif paired with an organ synth and blended choral vocal line — its catchy stuff. The bass is laid in close to the top of the mix alongside a dry drum kit before the “la’s” spill through heavy filters and bottom end EQ to produce this really proud and outspoken tone. In contrast to the opening track of ‘All But the Sun’, which focused on finger-style acoustic guitars and sunny vibes, ‘Revolutionary, Man’ reintroduces Winterbourne as a larger musical experience, whilst maintaining the lyrical and harmonic style of their studio beginnings.
2. Better
The first single to be released earlier this year, upheld promise for an album that was going to be big. Man, did they deliver. The hooks of this track are such that I was humming it all afternoon after hearing it only once, making it the perfect choice in teasing eager fans with its early release. It’s a high energy track, which although has so many interesting textures going on, somehow still upholds Draper’s voice as the most prominent layer. ‘Better’ is a masterclass in both structural composition, as well as mixing and production. The manipulation of texture thickness throughout is second to none on this album and its dance-like quality fosters a quirky and joyous soundscape; you can’t not tap your foot. Speaking of rhythms, the drum fills in the bridge are my favourite part of the entire track, especially the lead up to the split second of negative space before breaking out into the last chorus — what a moment! Kind of makes me sad that my parents sold my drum kit in the middle of the night, what I lacked in talent I sure made up for in enthusiasm, and ‘Better’ truly brought the wishful thinking 14 year old drummer back out of me.
3. Take the Golden
The second single to be released off of ‘Echo of Youth’ and has this really slick bass groove which compliments Draper’s gorgeously intertwining falsetto perfectly. The mix on this track is unreal, although would recommend some over ear headphones rather than the stereo system of a Toyota Yaris to get the full effect. It’s the simple things in this mix, like the shaker which appears on the low right side, and the piano accompaniment on the left. We get glimpses of OG Winterbourne on this track as well, with Brady’s infamous vocal harmonies making a comeback — ‘Take the Golden’ blends the old with the new, and I’m all about it.
4. Too Many
This was the final single to be released prior to the 23rd of August, and it was by far my favourite of the three. I’m a sucker for the sadder songs I must say. The quaver groove, swollen bass and keyboard ostinato in the intro sets the scene for an incredibly uplifting track, but this never really eventuates. Perhaps I’m reading too much into this, but as a neurotic stress head at the best of times, the accompaniment on the track creates this continuous rhythmic loop [duh], and paired with the lyrics, created this scene of anxiety and restlessness that I’m all too familiar with. Sounds a bit grim on paper, but these songs are the most impactful I find. When you can pinpoint a feeling and shape sound to fit that feeling, you’ve pretty much won music. Going off on a bit of a tangent here, but I’ve always found comfort in music, and it’s that connection you find when sound is shaped by somebody else to fit whatever is going on in your own head, that makes it so incredibly special. These are the kinds of songs that stop people from doing stupid things, and for the 3 minutes and 24 seconds that this song is played, it’s impossible to feel alone. If I could change one thing about this album, it would be to repeat Draper’s second last set of vocals [“I’m ready now, I’m ready now”] at the higher octave — ah, it gets me every time.
5. Puzzle
I saw these guys perform at the Factory Theatre earlier this year, and they premiered a few of these new tracks. Puzzle was one of them, and wow. I reckon the melodies in this track are some of the best on the album; Draper’s range and technique also gets taken for a spin and I can’t wait to see this live again soon — for sure will be one of many songs in upcoming live shows that everyone in the audience will belt out alongside each other.
6. Sunday Night
‘Sunday Night’ was a ripper choice to mark the halfway point. Energy levels have been reasonably high in the first half, and so the sorrowful lament for what once was that ‘Sunday Night’ seems to bring, slows the album to a point where all you can do is sit, listen and close your eyes. Surely that wasn’t just me… highly recommend that you pull over and turn the car off before this track plays. With a much thinner texture to previous soundscapes, its refreshing to hear Winterbourne stripped back once again; whilst I adore this album, ‘Sunday Night’ makes me wonder about an acoustic replica of its entirety. The production of ‘Echo of Youth’ has developed majorly from 2014, and while glimpses of this era are riddled throughout, I can’t help but think about that mandolin, and the tone that their early lineups created. That said, ‘Sunday Night’ has a cello in it. I’m sorry but chuck in some strings and I’m sold 100%. I also highly doubt that these strings are synthesised — can vouch for ’em here and say that I witnessed some pretty kickass cello solos on their last tour. Very cool. However the incorporation not only of strings as a textural choice, but as a structural one is something that I truly admire; towards the end of the instrumental break we hear glimpses of a similar melodic motif that reappears on title track ‘Echo of Youth’ — these connections throughout the entire album make for such a rewarding listening experience. Each time you hear these tracks you pick up something that you might not have heard before, or link songs together in new ways. In a recent interview it was also shared that the dream was to have this album on vinyl, and at the halfway point, ‘Sunday Night’ will be the perfect closer to Side A.
7. Daylight
The filter on the acoustic guitar in the intro of ‘Daylight’ is such a cool choice; there’s this grainy and authentic quality to it — it sounds like it’s being played in the room next door. Every choice made in this albums production comes across as an attempt to bring the music closer to the listener – this should not go unnoticed. If we’re still thinking along the lines of vinyl composition, ‘Daylight’ marks the beginning of the second half of the album and it does so brilliantly by exploring themes of hope and fittingly, the coming of a new start.
8. The Actors
‘The Actors’ is a banger first and foremost. But there are a few key ideas that this track has to offer which differentiate it greatly from the rest of ‘Echo of Youth’. For one, it’s punchy and the tempo is far quicker than the rest of the album. The emotive colours seem to shift here, its funnily offbeat and just a genuine bop. Not going to lie, even I would dance to this, which is a big statement from someone with two left feet. The other key thing to point out here is the duration. I will use any excuse to plug Jeff Buckley into pretty much everything I write, but there is a point here I swear! My iTunes library is filled with an embarrassing number of bootlegged live Buckley recordings, all of which last upwards of about 7 minutes and max out around 15 minutes. The longer the song, the better in my books. With this in mind I was pleasantly surprised that the average length of tracks in ‘Echo of Youth’ is about 4/5minutes. ‘The Actors’ however varies from this idea, finishing up at the 2min40second mark; but the lyrics are lighter and the whole track refreshes the ear with its tasty hooks and backbeat syncopation.
9. Breaking Out
Right so ‘Breaking Out’ is my favourite. It’s in 6/8. All the best songs are written in 6/8. You go listen to it, there’s no point in me trying to articulate it.
10. Milkshakes & Denial
‘Milkshakes & Denial’, also in 6/8, also a bit of a banger. I think lyrically, this is one of the stronger tracks on the record. It showcases this eerie nostalgia for something that you might never have experienced, but the sonic maturity of the piece dampens the 60s pop timbre just enough to dismantle its novelty, and ring true of great song writing. There’s also an organ, gotta love organs. “We always want the singing and storytelling to be the main focus, rather than the cool sounds.” — congratulations boys, you ticked all the boxes.
11. Colourblind
This is another one that I’ll bet get everyone singing along at shows, and it’s definitely another favourite of mine. Not sure whether it’s the captivating melodic ideas, gallop beat toward the end of the track or the Simon and Garfunkel harmonies. Whatever it is, it’s up there. It fits in so well with the track listing as well; one last ballad before ‘Echo of Youth’ comes to a close. It is reminiscent of the first half of the album, Brady’s harmonies appearing once more. Again, the balancing of instruments on this track is so impactful; even the Yaris gave it a good crack. This is the most drivable song on the album as well. Tried and tested. Windows down, bass up, dog on the passenger seat whilst singing made up lyrics because you’ve never heard it before Saturday morning. I’m also thinking the last song on live sets before an encore…
12. Echo of Youth
It is here that we reach full circle, the album’s title track and last lyric, ‘Echo of Youth’. This piece is a perfect representation of where Winterbourne have started, and what they have since become. The heavier rock soundscape and larger sonic experience created in tandem with some really interesting vocal composition, makes me smile. The track feels proud, they have found their sound, they have found what they want to say, and who they want to tell — the strings sweetens the deal too. It’s a triumphant ballad of discovery and commemoration, and a fitting way to conclude the album.
‘Echo of Youth’ whilst explores different compositional pathways and has developed immensely since ‘All But the Sun’, still pays homage to the Winterbourne I first met on Pitt Street about 6 years ago. To be able to watch these guys grow as a band has been so incredibly special, I don’t think it’s every day that you get to witness a career such as this. I truly wish these guys every success, and I can’t wait to see where this album will take them; I hope it’s the first of many.
Congratulations guys, bloody hell should you be proud.
Check Winterbourne out here: https://www.facebook.com/winterbournemusic/
Buy ‘Echo of Youth’ here: https://Winterbourne.lnk.to/EchoOfYouth
‘Echo of Youth’ Australian Tour: https://Winterbourne.lnk.to/EchoOfYouthTourFA
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