Campfires In Winter

The most productive way of discovering bands in recent years has been at live shows. So it was with Campfires In Winter who played the April Peenko vs Aye Tunes gig.

Having enjoyed their performance at that show I was pleased to receive a copy of the CiW debut EP ‘Cardboard Ships’ from Lloyd at Peenko a couple of weeks ago.

The three track E.P. seems to capture a lot of the elements of that live show. They’re an undeniably modern Scottish rock band with an ambitious sound. So there are big choruses, thrilling guitars and even some moody atmospherics. Live I caught a whiff of some shoegazing in there as well and the droning guitars of ‘Then It Will Be Done…’ are the best example of that on the record.

In many ways the Scottish scene is fascinating at the moment. When talking about long established bands such as Spare Snare and the Wildhouse I’ve lamented the fact that the music they’re making seems to be out of fashion. However it’s undeniably true that the newer breed of young guitar bands, of which CiW are certainly one, are not afraid to use noise and melody in the same package even if it’s in a different fashion to the afore-mentioned veterans.

If there’s a criticism then it’s that a couple of the tunes on the E.P. suggest CiW are a little in thrall to their heroes. ‘Cardboard Ships’ is a case in point copping some definite Twilight Sad-isms (even if the underlying song is a little different from Kilsyth’s finest) whilst ‘It’s Been Months Now’ owes a fair amount to Frightened Rabbit.

But there’s more than enough here to suggest that they’re capable of marking their own territory with a little more confidence. - Manic Pop Thrills

Campfires in Winter gave me a thrill at first listen. And no, it’s not just that Scottish accent, contrary to what my American friends will think, heh. It’s that initial clash of sound – how can you seriously resist that when it’s immediately followed by a flowing melody, tinged with reverb? Recipe for smash hit!!! They’ve been all the talk of my Edinburg/Glasgow friends and now I know why. So thank you, Lloyd, for sending them my way. I hope you all go crazy over them, their creativity and talent surely deserve it. If you like the sort of post-rock, angst-ridden sound of Twilight Sad, We Were Promised Jetpacks, ect., you will find some of that here, but this is surely not limited to it’s roots or influences. Campfires in Winter draws from lighter, more forward thinking sources as well. This EP is just a glimmer of what this band will bring to us soon, I’m quite certain of that.

You can download the EP, Cardboard Ships, for free but you might really want to send support to the band (and hurry them on their route to recording their first LP) by purchasing a handmade CD (there’s only 50!) for only 5GBP which is currently $7.77 - Love Shack, Baby

When you grow up in Paisley, you learn to expect certain things from a birthday party.

Some people you thought would be there don't turn up. Someone gets far too drunk, and vomits quite spectacularly. There's a fight. The cake is disappointing. And the music will be mostly rubbish.

How then did Glasgow Podcart's first birthday bash measure up to expectations then?

Well, there was someone that didn't turn up, as Campfires In Winter lost their drummer mere days before the gig. This didn't seem like the greatest of omens, especially as this would be the first time I'd see Campfires In Winter. Rather than letting the loss of a drummer derail them the three remaining members put together a short, stripped back, mostly acoustic set. They then proceeded to not just impress with their shortened set, but stun. When a perfect cover of The Twilight Sad's "The Room" isn't the best song in the set - that honour going to closing song Mortigi Tempo - you know you are in the hands of a band who are doing something very very right. I'm not so sure about their birthday gifts of decapitated cuddly toys though... - Jim Connick - Ayetunes

Our Rating: 8/10
According to the press blurb, 'The Campfires In Winter sound has previously been compared to the likes of Broken Social Scene, The Twilight Sad, and Coatbridge post rockers Kasule.' Now, I'm guessing that Kasule haven't made it very far beyond Coatbridge, and they're certainly a band I'm not familiar with and similarly, I suspect that CIW haven't yet strayed a million miles from their native Croy.

That may all change soon, though, and these small-town boys have a big sound. They describe themselves as Post-Rock Pop, and while there's not so much of the pop in evidence on the three tracks here (the shortest of which is five minutes in duration, hardly your 'classic pop' template), they do deliver a set of post-rock with meat (and, with such strongly accented vocals, a healthy portion of neaps and tatties oan the side).

'It's Been Months Now' builds to a perfectly-judged crescendo, while 'Then It Will Be Done...' drives and crackles with a desolate angst. As such, it's easy to see why Twilight Sad comparisons have been drawn, and they're entirely justified. Campfires In Winter might not be as good as the Sad, but they certainly show a lot of promise here, the songs carrying a real sincerity, passion and weight of emotion that could easily win them a substantial fanbase.

They're intending to promote this debut EP (limited to just 50 hand-made CD copies) with a series of intimate gigs in the living rooms of their fans. The chances are, they'll be playing rather larger venues before the year's out.

The EP can be downloaded for free from http://campfiresinwinter.com - Christopher Nosnibor