The Winter Tradition - Departures

Saturday. A day of infinite possibilities and options. Hands up how many of you have spent the day cleaning up the mess in a rented flat that was apparently previously occupied by two rutting pigs..? Just me then. Always good to know I'm a trendsetter. Obviously music isn't the only place I break the mould...

It's a week since I last wrote and therefore I thought it was high time I updated to bring you something pretty fabulously special to listen to.

At the back end of last weekend, Edinburgh band The Winter Tradition kindly tweeted me the video for their latest single "Departures". Here is said link:

Have a little listen, dear readers. I think you'll really like it. I do - and you know I have good taste.

It's a song that is instantly catchy with a great hook to it, just enough to draw you in and keep you engaged without being too over the top and to me, it feels just the right side of rock without straying too far into leather trouser town.

It's a perfectly crafted bit of indie pop heaven - the chorus in particular is a little gem, where the hook of the song comes into its own and really embeds itself in your head. The keyboards are sweetly chirpy and really help to temper the song well. For me, what also stands out here are the vocal harmonies. They're beautifully and tightly constructed and give a real strength and dimension to the song as a whole

If you want to download it - and why wouldn't you? (it's released on 10th February) you can do so from the group's bandcamp page here:

thewintertradition.bandcamp.com/album/departures

Whilst you're there, take a look at their debut album "Gradients", although it was released in 2012, it actually backs up their status as purveyors of great, catchy indie tracks. There's something about The Winter Tradition's guitar sound that feels nicely warm and fuzzy. It's well in evidence in their new single, and is also there in gallon bucketfuls in the album too. They're one of those bands that you listen to and wonder why they're not much, much more well known than they are...they really ought to be.

So, if you haven't heard these guys before, you must have them in your lives. Start with their new single, work backwards if you have to - if you're a self respecting lover of new choons, then put this at the top of your end-of-winter-lets-get-the-chuff-into-spring collection.