Music Review: Winter Gloves, “About a Girl” (Paper Bag)

Posted by staticblog

on May 15, 2009M at 9:39 am

Rating: 70

Montreal’s Winter Gloves gets maximum mileage out of minimalist arrangements on “About a Girl,” precisely because vocalist/keyboardist Charles F writes strong melodies that don’t require high-tech baubles to make them sing. Powered by analog keyboards, ancient beat boxes, organic drums, sparse guitar and liberal use of glockenspiels, “About a Girl” achieves a certain majesty without going overboard — this wall of sound is more like a mesh, allowing plenty of air to circulate.

“Factories” kicks off with distorted electric piano and electronic bass as Charles F sings about finding tranquility in a city of industry. Simple organ chords meander below the band’s skyward harmonies on the track, segueing into the tense single “Let Me Drive,” a propulsive dance-rocker almost entirely built on brittle drums and Farfisa drones. Elsewhere, “Invisible” achieves synth-pop icy cool even when the only synthesizer in the mix is a lo-fi pulse rhythm.

Much like Wolf Parade, Winter Gloves’ raw mix provides a kind of rough exoskeleton for songs that, in more candy-coated production environments, would be chart-ready pop music. But Winter Gloves’ approach on “About a Girl” celebrates the melodies — the closing track, “Piano 4 Hands” achieves liftoff with only a rumble of distortion, some glockenspiel and handclaps. There’s nobility in that simplicity.

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