A Sound for all Seasons

With You Are Acres (self-released Jan. 15, 2016), the beguiling follow-up to their gorgeous debut, the Winterlings add to their arsenal of pensive melodies and seductive soundscapes. Amanda Birdsall and Wolff Bowden have clearly hit their stride, if not in terms of energy and exhilaration, then certainly when it comes to honing their craft. Despite the fact that it’s been a full five years since the release of that initial effort, The Animal Groom, the couple’s newfound environs in the Pacific Northwest have clearly exerted an influence on their music as well as their muse. That’s evident not only in the dreamy desire that’s filtered through these tomes, but also in the rich imagery immortalized in the album’s artwork.

It’s that sense of time and place which imbues You Are Acres with its actual essence, and while the music brings to mind the usual suspects — Shovels & Rope, the Innocence Mission, et. al. — the hushed harmonies and affecting arrangements create a singular impression all their own. Guitar, violin, banjitar, ukulele, harmonium, piano, and foot percussion find a predominant place in the mix. Even when fiddle and trumpet are added on the rare occasion, the arrangements still sounds spare and sedate.

Happily then, this serene series of soundscapes never drifts off to dreamland. The folk finesse captured in songs such as “Opening Line,” “Happy With Hunger,” “Acres,” and “Father I” may suggest the ache of melancholia, but they’re also bolstered by a pensive sense of desire. The smooth strum and supple glide of “When We Were Young,” and the plucked banjo and hand-clapping rhythm of “While We Were Sleeping” add some guarded momentum, even as the shimmering melodies provide the listener with an easy embrace. 

Ultimately, You Are Acres offers a sound that’s as expansive as its title implies. Sedate yet seductive, it’s the kind of album clearly capable of casting its spell, and once that’s accomplished, it refuses to let go.