14
Dec
2004
Loud drums and a driving guitar kick off the album, and from most bands, this would hardly be remarkable. But coming at the beginning of a record from The Winter Blanket, it’s downright shocking.
After all, this is a group whose sound rarely eclipses the musical equivalent of a whisper, following in the delicate, subdued, austere slowcore tradition of Low.
Yet Prescription Perils, the third full-length CD from the group that once hailed from Quad Cities and is now based out of Minneapolis, starts with a roar of “Four Tornados.”
Has The Winter Blanket sold out to rock? Not at all. But before landing on more familiar, restrained terrain after about 30 seconds, “Four Tornados” makes a statement that a listener’s expectations – of the group, or of what might happen next on the CD – aren’t to be trusted.
The band will be back in the Quad Cities this weekend for what’s becoming an annual tradition: a holiday show. The Winter Blanket will be at the Brew & View on Saturday with Quiet Bears. And in addition to The Winter Blanket’s new album (released earlier this year), the two bands have shared an unusually somber Christmas EP that will be available at the show.
Led by singers-songwriters Doug Miller and Stephanie Davila and joined by drummer Paul Blomquist and bassist Kim Murray, The Winter Blanket takes several steps forward with Prescription Perils. The surprises don’t end with “Four Tornados” or the ragged, muffled electric guitar and downright-jaunty vocal aside that blossom on “Darkness Failed You.”
Davila’s weary but sensual voice is no longer merely a backing instrument, taking lead duties on a handful of songs. And while the band cites Townes Van Zandt and Springsteen’s Nebraska (which is referenced with a cover version of “Darkness on the Edge of Town”) as influences on the new CD, Davila’s singing and some of the arrangements recall Cat Power. Most importantly, she balances Miller’s vocals, which dominated previous records, and provides welcome texture and variety. So, too, does the expanded instrumentation, with the addition of the occasional trumpet, cello, and banjo.
The songs are fleshed out, but they also end abruptly, almost prematurely. There’s a tension between the rapidly maturing songcraft and this fragmented feeling, and you emerge from the 10-song, 35-minute disc a bit puzzled but wanting to return to it immediately.
Eventually, the secret reveals itself. Listeners are trained to expect circular verse-chorus-verse structures, and The Winter Blanket frequently traverses linear paths instead of returning to the comfortable space of a refrain. Prescription Perils is, in its subtle, low-key way, an exciting and daring album that shows a band honing its singular voice.
As for the Christmas CD, the Winter Blanket and Quiet Bears each throw in a pair of songs, and the sad, lonely EP is a welcome respite from the relentless cheer of most holiday tunes. On “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” The Winter Blanket turns the chestnut into a slow, countrified lament in duet form.
And Quiet Bears are one of the few bands able to make The Winter Blanket sound spastic and ornate, here offering a pair of spare songs so understated you can barely hear them. The disc is slight, to be sure, but it’s a reminder that the holidays for many people are a dark rather than a joyous time.
Prescription Perils is available from Fractured Discs (http://www.fractured-discs.com).
The Winter Blanket and Quiet Bears will be performing at the Brew & View in Rock Island at 10 p.m. on Saturday, December 18. Cover for the all-ages show is $8.
Has The Winter Blanket sold out to rock? Not at all. But before landing on more familiar, restrained terrain after about 30 seconds, “Four Tornados” makes a statement that a listener’s expectations – of the group, or of what might happen next on the CD – aren’t to be trusted.
The band will be back in the Quad Cities this weekend for what’s becoming an annual tradition: a holiday show. The Winter Blanket will be at the Brew & View on Saturday with Quiet Bears. And in addition to The Winter Blanket’s new album (released earlier this year), the two bands have shared an unusually somber Christmas EP that will be available at the show.
Led by singers-songwriters Doug Miller and Stephanie Davila and joined by drummer Paul Blomquist and bassist Kim Murray, The Winter Blanket takes several steps forward with Prescription Perils. The surprises don’t end with “Four Tornados” or the ragged, muffled electric guitar and downright-jaunty vocal aside that blossom on “Darkness Failed You.”
Davila’s weary but sensual voice is no longer merely a backing instrument, taking lead duties on a handful of songs. And while the band cites Townes Van Zandt and Springsteen’s Nebraska (which is referenced with a cover version of “Darkness on the Edge of Town”) as influences on the new CD, Davila’s singing and some of the arrangements recall Cat Power. Most importantly, she balances Miller’s vocals, which dominated previous records, and provides welcome texture and variety. So, too, does the expanded instrumentation, with the addition of the occasional trumpet, cello, and banjo.
The songs are fleshed out, but they also end abruptly, almost prematurely. There’s a tension between the rapidly maturing songcraft and this fragmented feeling, and you emerge from the 10-song, 35-minute disc a bit puzzled but wanting to return to it immediately.
Eventually, the secret reveals itself. Listeners are trained to expect circular verse-chorus-verse structures, and The Winter Blanket frequently traverses linear paths instead of returning to the comfortable space of a refrain. Prescription Perils is, in its subtle, low-key way, an exciting and daring album that shows a band honing its singular voice.
As for the Christmas CD, the Winter Blanket and Quiet Bears each throw in a pair of songs, and the sad, lonely EP is a welcome respite from the relentless cheer of most holiday tunes. On “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” The Winter Blanket turns the chestnut into a slow, countrified lament in duet form.
And Quiet Bears are one of the few bands able to make The Winter Blanket sound spastic and ornate, here offering a pair of spare songs so understated you can barely hear them. The disc is slight, to be sure, but it’s a reminder that the holidays for many people are a dark rather than a joyous time.
Prescription Perils is available from Fractured Discs (http://www.fractured-discs.com).
The Winter Blanket and Quiet Bears will be performing at the Brew & View in Rock Island at 10 p.m. on Saturday, December 18. Cover for the all-ages show is $8.
