The Winter of Our Content

posted in: Music News

Supergroups can go both ways”the members’ star power can collide and spectacularly self implode with one hit, a la Velvet Revolver and Audioslave. Or they can integrate more gracefully and enjoy a longer ride, like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Winterbloom is almost certainly destined for lasting adoration. The side project of five, renowned Boston-based singer-songwriters already selling-out shows on their own”the group coalesced after what was supposed to be a one-off performance together at a Cambridge club. Listen to just one of their songs and you’ll understand why the audience fell hard that night. Start with The Alchemist, a full collaboration between member songwriters Antje Duvekot, Anne Heaton, Meg Hutchinson, Rose Polenzani and Natalia Zukerman. Sparse and lovely, the tune familiarizes the audience with each voice in turn”every ridge and notch, every barb and lilt. Apart, their timbres are completely unique, but together they melt into sailing harmonies that bring on the chills. Rexroth’s Daughter is alt-country perfection, a quixotic and dusty union of lap steel and burnished croons. For Tumbalalaika (The Riddle) Winterbloom trades Americana for a Slavic folk song”haunting and dark. There’s an enormous amount of talent at this table so you’ll want to sit with these songs a good while.