Album review: Windings / Landlovers

Windings / Landlovers Split LP

Out On A Limb are no strangers to the split-vinyl tradition – their output for the last ten years has been punctuated by some superb split 45’s.

Their latest release, a collaboration with Dublin DIY collective Popical Island, features an impressive union between Limerick indie rockers Windings and the ever-eclectic Landlovers.

Featuring 11 tracks, the one-off, self-titled record showcases both outfits at their best.

Windings’ opening gambit, the broodingly beautiful ‘Bladerunner’, is as brisk as it is ferocious, kicking you in the teeth right from the get-go. The quintet kicks it up a notch with ‘Spiral Stairs’, a toe-tappingly infectious track that will resonate in your subconscious long after listening. It’s hauntingly beautiful “I still believe there’s something out there” makes it a standout offering.

‘Neverwood’, a frantically upbeat and in-your-face kind of track, together with the metal-tinged ‘Bang Bang Normal Man’, bring up the rear.

Windings’ spectacular third album, I Am Not The Crow, showed just how far the band had come since their bedroom-bound days of 2005 – their latest material heavily underscoring this reality.

On the flip side, ‘Vittima Di Cucina’ takes us into Landlovers territory - a powerful and energetic track showcasing the bands characteristic upbeat stylings.

At first glance, it appears that Land Lovers do most of the heavy lifting on this split release, providing a total of seven songs to Windings’ four, though the run time for each of the bands is roughly the same.

Previously responsible for two critically acclaimed Popical Island LP’s Romance Romance and Confidants, Landlovers show they haven’t lost their knack for alternative pop-rock paradigms.

The chiming tones of ‘Close Embrace’, complete with snare snaps and sweet guitars, is a definite highlight, with the clear winner being the anthemic Matilda – it’s unforgettably catchy chorus will burrow into your brain and lay eggs.

The saccharine sweetness of ‘Summertime’s Gone’ provides the prefect conclusion to the release, its sweet melodies and melancholic lyrics reinforcing the stark contrast between these two fantastic bands.