Heading over to www.thewinchesterclub.org you will find a page that is updated frequently and has very professional and noteworthy interaction with fans of the band this page represents. The colors are a little melancholy and the page is very minimal by today’s standards. The website speaks volumes to “The Winchester Club” and what they represent and stand for.
The Winchester Club formed in 1999 as a side project for the artists in it. What happened next is a common story; the side project caught on and fans demanded the music to come first in the lives of the artists. That music is described in a similar fashion to the site: minimalist and a little melancholy. The bands last album Britannia Triumphant was a big hit with critics and fans. This Avant Ambient band takes their music very seriously and much to my delight takes the passion of their fans seriously as well.
The Winchester Club’s latest release “Negative Liberty” is based on documentary “The Trap.” From what I have attained “The Trap” is a look at the freedoms (or lack of) in our modern society. Knowing this bit of information will help you enjoy this diverse and intellectual album.
The album begins with “Fuck You Buddy” and this 13+ minute track combines bass work, synth work, and many variations of guitars that lead you through many pace changes. For me I put it in the context of freedoms and what we feel are an infinite amount of choices. The definition of ambient is music used to enhance a mood or setting, and for me personally this song set the mood for the entire album.
“The Lonely Robot” follows and is much more haunting and distant than the previous track. There is a heavier bass present and cymbals that are brilliantly used to add to the whimsy of the song. Clocking in at 13 minutes again tests you to stay with the flow of the song. Whereas “Fuck You Buddy” was about infinite choices, “The Lonely Robot” to me was man’s realization that even with lots of choices none of them may be the right one.
More after the warp:
Spoken word samples are used to begin “Little Chemical Straight Jacket.” The sample talks about the possibility of change and loops over and over in the first part of the track. 15 minutes is a long song and I felt is spoke volumes to our human condition of having freedom, but still questioning if there is more out there. On a music side the drum work is intricate and sets the song perfectly.
“The End of History” displays more spoken word samples, but comes in at a mere 8 minutes. This song showed some true doom tradition and was my favorite on the album. To keep with the story I had to think this song was the dismay we feel when the freedom we experience begins to be ripped away by those that presented it to us in the first place.
We end the album with the title track “Negative Liberty,” which also happens to be the shortest on the album. This is a very minimal experience and wraps the album up very nicely. My emotional element to this track was that of being lied to and wanting to stand up for myself all at the same time. “The End of History” showed the experience and “Negative Liberty” spoke to me that the truth is there, we just have to be willing to fight for it.
The Winchester Club is not something I would normally listen to, but I’m very happy I did. The band has created an album that sets a mood and allows the listener to tell their own story. They say that nothing in our society can change unless people are willing to talk about it; The Winchester Club has got us talking by performing the sound track to the trials and tribulations of our lives.
Show me your horns,
Martell
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Awesome stuff, they deserve attention
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This is some oddball stuff, but I appreciate their effort.
If you didn’t listen to it for more than 30 seconds you would say something stupid like appreciate their effort. It is brilliant.