Independent (label)
15 November 2015 (released)
02 July 2016
Catchy, soulful alternative from Canada's West Coast.
The Windsor Effect is the latest album from Vancouver's Waiting For Sunday, the follow-up to 2010's The Courage, The Strength, The Wisdom & Doubt. This album sees the band exploring some more atmospheric territory, breaking from their usual mid-tempo fare to give a deeper sonic experience. The music video for the band's first single 'The Love is Gone' is currently winning at film festivals all across North America from San Antonio to Honolulu.
The first two cuts establish Waiting For Sunday's signature sound. The songs are anchored by Dan Hudson's steadfast acoustic strumming and pure voice with a strain of heartache and regret. The rhythm section of Mircea Tracke and Colin Everall give the tracks a bounce and a sway while lead guitarist Matt Gauld nimbly noodles around the beat.
The third track 'The Love is Gone' is the album's most expansive. A lightly warbling guitar under lofty flutes brings to mind Zeppelin's 'No Quarter', creating a foggy opening scene. Everall's muted drums and Hudson's laboriously strummed chords give an emotional weight. An adept melodic guitar lifts the song to its grand climax. The track's highly acclaimed music video is a surrealist trip, complete with burning portrait tapestries, tightrope walking octogenarians, drowning businessmen and buried albinos. All this while the band is locked in a dark room, watching it all unfold with nothing to do but play on as the ship goes down. Those poor bands always seem to get locked away in the shadows while everything is happening. Somebody call a locksmith! People who are cursing the fact that MTV no longer plays music videos will love this nod to 90s alternative vignettes.
'Borderline' is another standout track with its pensive nature. Gauld's delayed guitar leads glimmer over Hudson's thoughtful alternative ballad. 'Chasing Youth' is a lively bar blues number that trades off guitar and piano solos. Album closer, 'My Scripture' with its dark gospel organ and ghostly background vocals recalls the work of Nick Cave, particularly 'Higgs Boson Blues' on the fantastic Push the Sky Away album.
The Windsor Effect is a melancholic, acoustic-driven album that still keeps its chin up, not quite getting caught in the emotional depths of their ilk. Hopefully, their next record will continue to include more ethereal numbers with the drums really opening up. All in all, a solid effort from this alt-rock quartet.
