The Winters – This Full-Grown Nightmare (2020)
After receiving critical acclaim for their debut single, ‘We’re Still Kids, on an international scale, The Winters from South-West UK were already on their way to global domination. Followed by ‘Just One Day’ and ‘Dream of Me’, the group further developed their characteristic high-energy melodies. Now, the threesome released their previous singles, along with the new track ‘Our Song’, in one pretty package – their debut EP This Full-Grown Nightmare.
This Full-Grown Nightmare is 17 minutes of high-quality tunes. Categorised as an indie-rock group, this debut EP demonstrates the lads’ versatility and ability to integrate different styles into their music. In only four tracks, Joe Beckhelling (lead vocals and guitar), Matt Bowen (bass) and Sam Caburn (drums) illustrate an evolution in their music.
Lyrically, The Winters explore issues from the difficulties of planning one’s future to painful relationships and lost love showing relevancy to any young adult today. The powerful, passionate and sometimes painful vocals not only harmonise with the instrumentation but embrace personal vulnerability. Carefully arranged guitars and drums complements the vocals allowing listeners to sense the sentimentality of the songs. This is particularly evident in ‘Our Song’.
Melodically, the lads begin with an upbeat, fast-paced and energetic guitar-driven sounds. Despite the sombre lyrics, ‘We’re Still Kids’ remains a light-hearted track. However, The Winters are not confined to the buoyant melodies as is heard with the descent into the slower and steadier ‘Just One Day’ and ‘Dream of Me’. Potentially my favourite, ‘Our Song’ shows the band’s softer sound with a wistful ballad focusing on the heart-breaking vocals.
At the end of the day, This Full-Grown Nightmare is an EP showing how shit life can be but in an endearing way. In my previous review of ‘We’re Still Kids’ I compared The Winters to Sea Girls; however, this EP shows an introduction of more pop-rock sounds with indie undertones. After listening to This Full-Grown Nightmare, I believe The Winters are more reminiscent of McFly. but with their distinguished, distinctive sound they will soon stand out above the rest.
For more from The Winters, check out their official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
