Windy & Carl - Introspection
(Blue Flea)
It's finally here! After a delay in production that lasted more than 2 years, Windy & Carl have issued a 3 CD box set including 7"s, compilation appearances, and rarities. Many of these songs have been out of print for years and some never were in print. Needless to say, this is a Windy & Carl fans' dream come true.
Disc One contains 7" tracks and is refreshing in that it showcases the duo's ability to write concise, (dare I say) pop songs. Songs such as "Emerald" and "Instrumental 2" pop into existence only to flit around and burn out quickly. Comparing these songs to the last two full lengths elicits a certain sadness that Windy & Carl have all but given up this format to pursue longer, more abstract pieces. While serving as a necessity for diehard collectors, this disc also flows nicely and makes for a very pleasant listen.
Disc Two is made up of compilation appearances. I don't think these guys ever turned down a compilation! Can you think of any other band that can form an entire CD out of comp tracks? These songs, much like the 7" songs, focus on the short and sweet. I would, however, venture to say that they saved their best for the 7"s. That being said, even second tier Windy & Carl songs are excellent and beautifully filled with emotion.
Disc Three is the most interesting disc. It contains an entire live show dating to the Depths period as well as some cassette only songs and alternate versions of songs from their masterpiece Drawing of Sound. The live show is fairly solid, but suffers from a stale sort of quality. I only wish that they could have recorded it in a church or some huge room. The dryness of the recording goes against the grain of the songs and makes it seem sort of awkward. The performance is flowing and very skillful and the songs are played to perfection, making this complaint an insignificant one. The alternate versions of "Lighthouse", "Whisper" and "Song for After the Flood" are great, showing slightly different sides to these excellent songs. The demo version of "Lighthouse" is the most interesting being that it is so lo-fi. Apparently Carl recorded it using the "ping-pong" method on a common household boombox. The result is a sort of otherworldly drone and clatter that Dave Pierce would be proud of.
This compilation is a worthwhile addition to any Windy & Carl fan's collection. The booklet alone, packed with descriptions of recording sessions, old posters, and photos is very well thought out and fun to read through while listening to the music. Here's hoping that they'll do another one in about ten years!
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