A complex meditation on life, an ethereal, dreamy, journey sharpened with an underlying aggressive blues-edge
The long, awaited, full-length debut from Nashville Gypsy-Folk-Rockers South For Winter delivers on all the promise that has built up around the band the past few years. ‘Luxumbra’ is a powerful statement from the trio of Nick Stone (vocals, guitar), Dani Cichon (vocals, mandolin), and Alex Stradal (cello). The simplicity of the band’s lineup is belied by the strength with which they play and the deeply complex music they create that exists somewhere in the nebulous area between blues, acoustic-folk, and jazz explorations, all delivered with thoughtful lyrics and lilting harmonies.
‘Luxumbra’ is an album that has lived up to the hype that has surrounded South for Winter the past few years, and follows through on the promise of potential that has swirled around the band. South For Winter named the album ‘Luxumbra’, which is latin for light and shadow, to showcase the mix of heavier folk-rock ballads and lighter acoustic duets featured on the record. The band was years in the making and writing of the album as they envisioned it as complex song-cycle and created linking instrumental interludes to connect songs and devised the album to come full circle with the last guitar lick on the album in the song, ‘Stone’, matching the first lick in the opening track, ‘Twine’. ‘Luxumbra’ is a complex meditation on life, an ethereal, dreamy, journey sharpened with an underlying aggressive blues-edge, but simultaneously softened by Cichon’s dynamic voice and range, and tempered by floating cello runs. It is a journey well-worth taking.
