Winter Mountain - Find, Follow

by Lisa Torem

published: 8 / 6 / 2013

Label: Charcoal Records
Format: CDS

Striking harmonic country pop on debut EP from English-Irish duo, Winter Mountain

Review

Joseph Francis and Martin Smyth, before they created the moniker Winter Mountain, came together as a result of synchronicity fuelled by a mutual passion for Memphis. They met at Chicago’s Union station, spent the night discussing their common heroes and then booked themselves in southern bars, where their striking harmonies took new audiences by storm. Back in the UK – Francis is from Cornwall and Smyth is from Donegal - they won a Battle of the Bands competition and then opened for Cara Dillon. Impressed, Dillon and her husband Seth Lakeman signed the duo to their label, Charcoal Records. Robbie McIntosh, Audrey Riley and Leo Abrahams lent a hand. Their EP 'Find, Follow' is a class act, inside and out, from the muted photograph of the two men on the cover to the material itself. It is loaded with country/folk spirit and vigorous hooks. The first song ‘Shed a Little Light' is laden with sterling harmonies and rhythm as focused as a seasoned trucker on the interstate. “Come and take me out of the dark and open my eyes,” they sing, allowing their vulnerability to bleed through. The next song ‘Sarah’ goes at a slower pace, and also includes some compelling harmonies and sad, emphatic chords. “I know that I shouldn’t cry so much but my heart’s losing touch,” it begins. Even the outro draws you in: “Sarah, I can see your face no more/Sarah, tell me what I’m crying for…” The last one ‘Whenever You Lay Your Head Down’ is about remorse, but relayed with bittersweet candour and an understated optimism. “Fear is the luck that keeps you from changing, but try rearranging your smile for me” is the line that pulls it all together. Winter Mountain’s follow-up records will be worth waiting for - if they keep doing exactly what they’re doing here, they can’t miss.