by GREGORY TENACEA

Dare I say love at first play?

Canadian band (Montreal to be specific) Winter Gloves’ debut LP, about a girl, was not exactly love at first sight for this reviewer. Here at the Into the Hill studio, we all had our turn as we picked up the album, gave it a less-than-enthusiastic stare and, without further ado, promptly put it back down. In fact, it sat around for a week before any of us finally popped it in the computer for a listen. Fortunately, though covers count, they aren’t the measure by which we judge music. about a girl reminds us - and it’s good to be reminded - that there is more to a work of art than a first impression.

But that’s not to say the artwork was bad.

“Factories,” the first of 10 tracks on this debut LP, started in my foot. Tapping to this song was as involuntary a response as a flinch caused by a bee buzzing to close to one’s ear. But that was just the beginning! As the song developed, so did my bodily movements. I found my self in all out head nodding (rock and roll style), foot tapping, lap drumming mode. My movements developed with the song at each new stage of its intro. What started with a catchy drum and guitar lick was followed by a hard driven gritty bass line, culminating with lead singer Charles F’s (yes, that’s right, he goes only by his initial, like an illiterate gold miner in 1888) assertive and beautifully convincing vocal melodies wrapped in swirling synth.

I was captivated; Winter Gloves had just earned a new fan. Eager to hear the rest of the album I teetered between excited anticipation of what was to come and the fear of being let down. But my fear was never realized. Song after song the album held me, moved me, inspired me. I typically expect an album that starts this strong to stall at some point, leaving me disinterested. Not so with about a girl.

The tunes of Winter Gloves are said to be the “unintentional brainchild of” said Charles F., which, I find hard to believe given the masterfully produced and compelling album that it is. These are the kind of foot stomping indie pop hooks that hipsters will drool over, jump for and dance to. about a girl has made my preliminary 2009 top ten list, and the year has just begun! This indie electro-pop rock quartet are gloves I intend to wear all year long.

The album drops March 24th, so add it to your list!

Let Me Drive

Gregory is the producer of the Into the Hill sessions - and a dork.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 at 11:35 pm and is filed under Album Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.