Irish five-piece The Winter Passing have built up to their debut record for around a year now. Having announced the signing to US label 6131 Records, A Different Space Of Mind was scheduled for release back in May, and although a few delays surfaced, the band dropped the full length mid September to much hype around the genre and DIY scene.
With a large fan base around Dublin, having played on some incredible shows supporting the likes of Balance And Composure, Touché Amore and will even be in attendance at Fest this year, momentum is gathering rapidly and with a full length record behind them, the real test begins.
The record is filled with gritty guitars and vocal performances from Kate and Rob Flynn that are filled with emotion, gathering influences from a range of bands such as Jimmy Eat World and other noughts emo outfits with their own twist. Lead single, ‘Fruits Of Gloom’ which was released last year, sees the melancholy yet melodic mix perfectly, with an emotive narrative and dynamic ending, The Winter Passing have found the perfect blend between the energetic and the captivating melodies and lyrics that makes a lot of the bands in the emo genres stick out.
Next single ‘Daisy’ is on the opposite end of the spectrum musically, and although the lyrical content between songs is honest, hard hitting and based on a mature outlook of life, the instrumentation and production of ‘Daisy’ is fresh and melodic, with an upbeat tone throughout. The record weaves between the sombre tone in tracks such as ‘Flowerpot’ and ‘Grazed Knees’ and the buoyant ‘Penny Chains’ and ‘The Fever’.
The highlights of A Different Space Of Mind include the incredible dynamic range across many of the tracks that instantly grasp at the listeners attention and the emotive lyrical content, with such honesty that hits hard. Sitting alongside the songwriting ability of the band, the production of each track is as crisp and clean as you would expect from both Aidan Cunningham and Bob Cooper, and in parts intentionally unorthodox, especially in ‘Grazed Knees’. Each track has it’s own spark or element to it, be it unmatched dynamic control or spacing of instrumentation in the mix, and that’s what’s special about the full length record from the band.
The Winter Passing have a complete vision for the band, and with a huge DIY and hard working ethos behind them, and having been picked up by FITA Records in the UK and 6131 Records stateside, it’s obvious that there are people involved in the scene that believe in the vision. The belief and backing of successful and established labels in the punk scene is a huge thing, and the band will look to push ahead, and with the fan base growing, including shows in the U.S, the future looks very bright for the young Irish outfit. Niall Cregan
