The Great Outdoors : Winter EP

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/thegreatoutdoorswinterep.jpg" alt=" " />The Great Outdoors finish their 'EP for a season' project in the depths of a cold<em> Winter</em>....
7.9 DDG
2009 

The Great Outdoors : Winter EPThe first days of 2009 are seeing an end to a lot of things, such as the Bush & Blagojevich administrations, but also some things we’re actually going to miss, like The Great Outdoors’ seasonal EPs.  Starting in Spring (QRO review), and then proceeding to Summer (QRO review) and Fall (QRO review), the Canadian act now ends in the one of the coldest Winter seasons on record.  All of that could spell some crushing S.A.D.ness, but The Great Outdoors leaven their blues with enough world-wiseness to know that the seasons keep on changing.

“This Winter’s Touch” opens the EP on a duet, with singer/guitarist Adam Nation and guest-spotter Melissa Devost, and some stripped alt-folk (though with a touch of horns).  The rest of Winter goes more straight towards the blues, but still varies it up from the relaxed, wry attitude of the following “The Garbage Man Song” to the alt-country twang of “No Bells” (though the latter does go on a bit).  A world-weary nature takes hold in “Edison’s Genius”, while EP/series closer “Snowdrop” is a sad, epic melancholy coda to the season – and the end of this project.

While each EP had grown by one song from the last, Winter stays at Fall’s five tracks – but also break another tradition, in not being released later & later in the eponymous season (and you know how winter’s last up north…).  There wasn’t a lot to say for the just-ended Year of the Rat, as the world economy imploded along with nations from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe (and don’t forget about Iceland…), but they were four seasons to remember.

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