Customer Reviews

When I Pretend to Fall

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Long Winters have satisfied all of my expectations with this CD. More musically interesting than their excellent "The Worst You Can Do Is Harm", "When I Pretend to Fall" is wildly varied and cd-player-on-repeat addictive. Full-length samples can be found on the Barsuk website. It's hard to say enough about this Seattle label; every CD in their catalog is worthy of your attention.

Why aren't they bigger? Sure, they've popped up on a soundtrack or two and found their way onto an O.C. compilation. But why aren't they huge? Modest Mouse made it, Death Cab is well on their way to repeated Rolling Stone covers, but not The Long Winters. This could be blamed on obvious things- Few albums, and big periods inbetween releases for example, but one thing is for sure, it must be only a matter of time.

When I Pretend To Fall, The Long Winter's second album, starts off with the groovy "Blue Diamonds", a piano-organ-synth driven song with often humorous lyrics that seem almost too-serious, such as "You're so good at waiting/ I'm just saying"

"Scared Straight", is a beautfully layered song mixing sax, organ and guitar that builds up into a poweful masterpiece.

"It'll Be a Breeze" is the quiet centerpiece of the album, displaying singer John Roderick's powerful voice over acoustic guitar, with seemingly fruity lyrics such as "Is it your kisses I'm feeling?"

Fans will agree, there is no best song, and if this band had released this album on a major label it would have been a hell of a job trying to pick a single. Which is precisely why fans rarely agree on a favorite song.

Hats off to the Long Winters, and thank you for not only one of the top albums of 2003, but of the last 10 years.

Right from the ominous keyboard-driven Blue Diamonds, you know you're in for a thrilling pop ride. Eclectic to a fault, you get Memphis horns, REM jangle, Wayne Coyne cosmic whine, the Blue Nile's atmospherics & the kitchen sink in this work of genius. Up there with Grandaddy and Beulah for the year's best.

I bought this last night, not having heard any tracks.
I usually can't get into an album on my first run through, but "When I pretend to Fall" really had me. Now that Harvey Danger is all but dead, I need someone to fulfill my need for indie rock with complex and meaningful lyrics. More diverse and stronger track to track than "The worst you can do is harm," the rotating cast of the Long Winters has managed to dodge the sophomore slump and then some.

This is probably the most beautiful album you will hear this year....enjoy!!!

Following a musical path similar to Super Furry Animals, and often sounding eerily similar to the Pooh Sticks, the Long Winters bring out their best licks on this disk. From the first track to the last, this collection of songs provides a consistently enjoyable listening experience. The sometimes goofy lyrics fit gracefully into uniformly upbeat and catchy tunes, and after just one listening you'll find youself singing and humming along. And, isn't that what good pop music is meant to do?

With this fantastic second disc, The Long Winters have succeeded in capitalizing on all of the good ideas that didn't quite gel into a great debut. Don't let any other mentions of "pop" or "indie" influence your decision about whether or not to pick this up; the band covers all the bases from intense psychedelia-inflected screeds a la Flaming Lips or Built to Spill ("Nora," "Bride and Bridle") to down-and-dirty Stonesey roots rockers (the brilliant "Prom Night at Hater High") to straight-up-the-middle, yes, indie pop in all the best ways ("Stupid," "Scared Straight," "Blue Diamonds," heck, everything else). Must-have for any fans of songcraft. Five stars may be a bit excessive, but I gotta go with the strongest recommendation I can provide ...

i can't listen to a lot of pop rock, but there are just some times that you need something lighter, and this is lighter and meaningful. and local. and great.

The Long Winters' sophomore album, "When I Pretend To Fall," is a vast improvement over their first--Roderick's lyrics are more clever, playful, and inventive, and there is energy present that was not to be found for most of "The Worst You Can Do Is Harm." The first four songs are excellent--well-written, with strong hooks, solid lyrics, and good musicianship. "Scared Straight" is very compelling, with horns, a passionate lyric, and solid composition. "Cinnamon" is VERY catchy, but also has staying power. A few of the songs toward the end lose a little steam ("Prom Night" and "The Sound of Coming Down," to name a couple), but overall, the record is thoughtfully arranged, with variety in tempo, style and sound. I heartily recommend it, and hope the Long Winters keep up the good work.

Some catchy songs.
Smart lyrics, with a balance of moods conveyed.
(Still, it seems as if the music is trying to overcome the ego of the band's leader - and failing at times.)
Give it a shot.