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The Long
Winters: Ultimatum EP
The Ultimatum EP is a collection of six teaser songs from The Long Winters who intend to release a full length in the spring of 2006. Along with four studio tracks, the listener is also treated with a live version of the title track and also “Bride and Bridle” from the band’s sophomore release When I Pretend To Fall. The “Commander Thinks Aloud” opens the deeply personal album with a look at the devastating breakup of the space shuttle Columbia from the crew’s perspective. An electronically-enhanced “future mix” of the song was released in 2004 on the Future Soundtrack for America that featured exclusive tracks from 22 artists including Elliot Smith, R.E.M and Tom Waits. The track was by far one of my personal favorites among the collection, however I prefer the more wrenching and undressed original on this EP. The title track is a simple, folksy song about the struggle to hold onto something that was never intended to be taken too seriously, perhaps out of fear. He explains that “I hope I can keep seeing you/ As long as you don’t say you’re falling in love.” “Everything Is Talking” is as close to pop as the EP gets with its catchy, jazz-infused style. The final studio track, the stark piano-led ballad, “Delicate Hands” shows the sting of regret with one of the most heartbreaking lines: “I want to feed you/butter-rum candy/but someone beat you to me.” The first of the two live bonus tracks, “Bride and Bridle,” is admittedly one of my least favorite songs from their sophomore effort. In its previous version, the song felt more like a hollow story, but the live setting fills the song with the emotion I felt it was lacking and shows the growth of the Winters. The final track finds John singing in an acoustic, stripped-down, live version of the title track. His voice wavers as it rises and falls throughout the song, adding an additional tinge of emotional sincerity to the struggle of a conflicted relationship. At first listen, the new material can seem like a giant leap from the quirky and catchy pop lyrics of the previous two releases, but one thing remains the same, and that’s frontman John Roderick’s knack for writing intelligently poetic lyrics that helps to set the band apart. The album does not lean entirely on the crutch of catchy music to entice anyone but rather asks the listener to sit back, relax and take in the poetic visions that are crafted before them. While the album may not perfectly flow from one song to the other, this is not the intention. Instead, each song should be enjoyed individually as a re-introduction to the band that may have already stolen your heart. Or if this is your first time with the Winters, be prepared to give it up.
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