Another great band passes by in virtual obscurity...
Guardians --- The Winter Tree --- 2012 (Self-released)
It's rare you come across an album like this by accident, so I'm grateful for the fortunate happenstance. Formerly known as Magus, The Winter Tree have only been in existence in this form since 2010, with this their second album, though they have had several under the name of Magus. They have also undergone lineup changes, though the driving force behind both bands, and founder of both, remains Andrew Laitres (who for some strange reason is also known as Andrew Robinson), multi-instrumentalist and composer. For the new band (or second incarnation of the old one, if you prefer) he has enlisted the aid of a husband and wife team, Mark Bond on guitars and vocals, and his wife Deb on keyboards.
The overall sense you get from this album is soft, gentle, pastoral, even acoustic. It's laidback music, though not always; soft-focus and mesmerising, with some amazing musical talent behind it. The opener, “Visions”, is a short instrumental, which features dramatic, ethereal keys and some fine guitar from Mark Bond, almost Gilmouresque at times, leading into the first real track, “Voice on the wind”, in which we get to hear that not only does Mark Bond play a fine guitar, he has a great voice too. With a funky, almost Alan Parsons-style melody and rhythm, it's punctuated by rippling piano almost reminiscent of the Doors on “Riders on the storm”. The guitar gets a bit harder and punchier, and Deb Bond's keyswork is at times quite Genesis-like, particularly in the arpeggios and runs.
“The sparrow” then has a long, atmospheric instrumental introduction, about two minutes of the six the song runs for, and when Bond's vocal comes in it's on the back of a solid piano line, the tune itself a little rustic and gentle, with some fine brass effects on the synth from Andrew, quite Van Der Graaf Generator in tone. Nice sort of uptempo folky feel to the song, taking us into the title track, which has shimmering keyboard effects and some bright piano from Deb Bond, almost vibraphone-like, then solid percussion cuts in and with some rising keyboard and some guitar touches this becomes the second instrumental, much more boppy and uptempo than the previous track. It fades out, leading into a lovely acoustic guitar opening for “Elune”, another folk-tinged gentle tune where again Bond's voice shines as the main light.
Beautiful violin or violin-effects on the synth add drama to the proceedings, with soft sprinklings of piano, the whole thing evoking a scene from “Lord of the Rings”. A superb little guitar solo from Bond sets the seal on the song, while “The woman and the dragon” is yet another instrumental, revisiting the very best of early to mid-seventies Genesis, but in a very good way, almost a tribute, with a sort of marching/breathing rhythm to the keyboards and soft but insistent piano very redolent of Banks at his best. There's a whistling keyboard and soft acoustic guitar intro to “Beautiful world”, a lovely little ballad where Mark Bond really comes into his own as a vocalist, his voice gently bitter yet without any rancour or recrimination as he talks to the earth and asks for forgiveness:
”Have we poisoned your waters/ And ruined your air/ We're just killing ourselves/ So many don't care.” The theme fits in perfectly with the organic nature of the music of The Winter Tree, and it's topped off by a searing guitar solo. Another long instrumental intro to the longest track on the album, “Good times”, led by Bond's classical guitar under which his wife's keyboards ripple and chirp like birds. As the drums punch in, backing vocals with a very Pink Floyd/Roger Waters feel join the song, but it continues to ride on the main guitar line.
Deb's keys set up quite an orchestral sound in the final minute, and her hubby comes back with again a guitar solo worthy of the great G himself, the album closing on “City of light”, an almost incongruously uptempo, thumping tune driven on solid keyboards and of course heavy percussion. Another instrumental, it features a very rock-and-roll guitar solo from Mark Bond, slowing down about halfway before kicking back into life again and taking off at full speed under Debs' trumpeting keys. It's an interesting, unexpected way to end the album, and while I think I might have liked to have heard more of Mark Bond's singing, The Winter Tree have crafted a fine album here that is probably going to remain quite obscure and unknown, which is a real pity.
TRACKLISTING
1. Visions
2. Voice on the wind
3. The sparrow
4. Guardians
5. Elune
6. The woman and the dragon
7. Beautiful world
8. Good times
9. City of light
(Footnote: This is the first album I've come across where there are no samples at all on YouTube. Not one. And due to legal complications I'm reluctant to make any more Yts myself, so the best I can do is direct you to some sound samples here Home or you could decide to buy the album from either of the links on that page.)