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Winterbourne – All But The Sun

That moment I got an email from my editor saying “Do you reckon you could do a piece on Winterbourne now? I know you brought them up earlier…” was the moment my face radiated the light of a thousand sunrises – beaming a channel of warmth through this unkind and freezing weather. Just before you completely withdraw from the idea that summer won’t ever come back, here’s some music that will make your childhood fantasies seem like they were possible all along– happiness is one powerful weapon.

winterbourne

Jen is very excited to finally be writing about Winterborne. Like, very, very excited – and we can see why! Check out their debut EP All But The Sun.

Winterbourne are one of the most musically polished duos I have come across and as rising talents, they are ones to watch out for. Think to yourself: happy, charming, alternative, rustic rock music that bares resemblance to Boy & Bear; they are akin after all.

When I discovered these guys, becoming weak at the knees was the least of my troubles. I had fallen into their arms, and embraced them with every ounce of my being. With every strum of the guitar, every beat and every lyric I thought to myself, sheer perfection. This is what it takes to command an audience every time you perform, and busking all along Australia’s East Coast from Brisbane to Melbourne has helped the two become masters of live performance.

Formerly known as Everything After (if you are having a hard time finding some of their older stuff, try searching again using this name), the boys hail from the Central Coast and have been busking for yonks. There’s James Draper and Jordan Brady – both multi-instrumentalists but to help you know who’s who, refer to the Live at the Grove Studio music video. Jordan is the one strumming away so sprightly on the mandolin, and James who is singing lead vocals, is the one that may remind you of Dave Hosking.

So what does Winterbourne mean? It describes a stream or river that is dry through the summer months. Fittingly, the boys bring that metaphoric river back to life with their music that is continually refreshing and inspires you to look forward to a brighter future. The boy’s skill and precision through their instrumentals is impressive – so crisp and clean. With vocals made for each other, proven by their powerhouse- like harmonies, All But the Sun is a highly regarded debut EP that won’t disappoint.

The opening track, Cold, has this relentless immortality about it – the arrangement , which begins with the sense of reflective melancholia before it surges up to a redemptive state through the explosive climax of instrumentals, gives you the impression that if you want to live a rewarding life, you must walk through the fire and carry on despite being scathed.

From the moment you hear The Boy Prince, you will be thinking this lively pop/ folk/ rock song is definitely the most commanding track of the EP (if you can stop thinking about its similarities to Boy and Bear, that is). Steady My Bones is a sure-fire tune to get you clapping along with its infectious rhythms. It’s a song that will keep you grounded but help you to realise that good can come from holding back and waiting for the right moment to seek liberation.

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Watching leaves fall gracefully from the trees as they sway gently in the autumn wind has never been so captivating. Leaves shows you how the simple things in life should be appreciated for its finer beauty– a sweet and heartfelt love song to help you shed that tear you’ve been bottling up for so long.  The crescendo at the very end signals for you to collapse into the pile of autumn leaves and to say thank you for it helped break your fall*.

The last track, Sunrise, is nothing short of what a sunrise encapsulates. That feeling of holding back our inhibitions as we hold our breath for the magic of what we are to witness, is embodied throughout the song. The beautifully down tempo track, which is complimented by the addition of a harmonica, can only be expressed as being in a content state of mind– there are no words, just lots of feelings.

So if you like Boy and Bear, Vance Joy, The Temper Trap or Georgia Fair, then add Winterbourne to your list of good vibes – timeless songs to keep you going no matter what.  Let nothing but pure elation come away from this review. When you listen to them, you will know what we are all raving about. A debut EP full of hope, joy, passion, musical skill, mesmerising harmonises, and a promise of more to come.

Winterbourne have an up and coming show at the Metro Theatre in Sydney, 16th August, with Woodlock as one of the supporting acts. The sad news is that it is sold out. Cross your fingers really tight and a miracle might just happen so you can attend!

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