I stumbled accidentally across this self-titled debut EP by Early Winters last week and was surprised to see acclaimed British singer Carina Round involved with this otherwise North American band. The sound is a kind of country/pop mix - the type that is very Radio 2 friendly and I'm not sure it's a good thing.
The first two tracks have Carina Round and Justin Rutledge splitting the singing duties and although it kind of hints at Americana, I'm not convinced by it. I suspect that the pressures of securing a daytime slot on American commercial radio has shaken the songs of any chance of offering the listener anything other than the usual forgettable fluff. It's not all doom and gloom though - track 3, 'One Time In Your Life' harks back to Carina's past where she was compared to Patti Smith and the track is rockier and the lyrics harder hitting. Perversely, it's when the more whimsical track 4 - 'Spanish Burn' starts that you can really appreciate Carina's abilities. This is in Caitlin Rose/Jenny Lewis territory and Carina more than holds her own. Her voice soars effortlessly throughout and it was quite a lovely discovery on this EP. Track 5 - 'Turn Around' is back with Radio 2 blandness, I'm afraid.
It's a shame that they didn't take a few more risks with this EP as there are hints that the undoubted talent in this band could be great together but I guess it's been made for their target audience in mind.
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