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Winter

Winter

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With a band name like Winter, the last sound that comes to mind is light and airy synth-washed shoegaze. Formed as the brain child of Samira Winter and Nolan Eley, the live version of the LA transplant quartet includes Matt Hogan on guitar, David Yorr on bass, and Garren Orr on drums. Samira commands as front woman and vocalist, and has driven the band through a couple EPs, one 2015 full length, and most recently their single, “All The Things You Do.”

I could describe the dream pop track by detailing every sound wave, but their music video perfectly embodies their sound in movement. To summarize, melodies greet you like a quirky blonde girl (Samira Winter) parting a curtain of beads with an easy smile, while guitars engulf you like that summer kick off dive into a pool. The whimsical vibes sent out from their only LP, Supreme Blue Dream, manifest in polaroid pictures and VCR-quality home videos. The official video for standout single, “Pretender,” shows just that–Winter behind the scenes of their 2015 tour, in the van, eating pizza and singing into mics wound with Christmas lights. A picture’s worth a thousand words, but what’s a video worth?

Sonically, perhaps Winter’s most unique quality is that Samira blends her Brazilian heritage into Supreme Blue Dream. Songs like “Strange Emotions,” “Like I Do” and “Don’t Stay Away” all feature lyrics sung in Portuguese, seamlessly weaving bilingual dreams. Their lyrical themes prove just as ethereal as their dream pop sound. Winter’s songs detail worlds spinning, zoning out, sleeping in clouds and bound expectations. That said, Winter contrasts their title with more than a few songs about waiting for summer, driving down to the California sun, and bumming on Santa Monica beaches. They are true Southern California shoegaze, and bearers of dream pop bliss. »

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– Gina Pieracci