In 2022, the Chicgo-based fingerstyle guitarist Eli Winter released a spectacular self-titled album on North Carolina's esteemed Three Lobed label. Marking Winter's debut as a bandleader, the album laced his American primitive fretwork with full-band arrangements at the intersection of folk-rock and post-rock. Today, he's back with news of the follow-up.
A Trick Of The Light continues Winter's work with a full band, including appearances from underground heavyweights like Mike Watt and David Grubbs, centered on his core band of Sam Wagster, Tyler Damon, and Andrew Scott Young. There are Winter originals on there as well as covers of Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell's "Arabian Nightingale" and Carla Bley's "Ida Lupino." Winter bills lead single "Cracking The Jaw," out today, as his version of a pop song, but what struck me more about the track is how hard it rocks. It's a darker, heavier composition than I'm used to hearing from Winter, and on first pass I'm loving it.
A statement from the man himself:
The closest thing I have to a pop song. It’s quite dark in comparison to my past work—a car about to crash. I began playing it on solo tours, and its focus tightened as I rehearsed and performed it with Tyler Damon, Sam Wagster and Andrew Scott Young. Almost everything you hear comes from the lucky thirteenth take. On some level I hope it sets the title to music.
Below, watch directors Josiah Lydon and Ian Resnick's video for "Cracking The Jaw."
TRACKLIST:
01 "Arabian Nightingale"
02 "For a Fallen Rocket"
03 "Cracking The Jaw"
04 "Ida Lupino"
05 "A Trick Of The Light"
06 "Black Iris On A Burning Quilt"
A Trick Of The Light is out 5/2 via Three Lobed. Pre-order it here.
