Cara Winter returned last week with her follow up album entitled “Peter and the Whale”, an 8 track album that’s over far too quickly and one that leaves you wanting for more. It’s here that Cara makes the transition from melancholy yet beautiful piano and vocal suites to more band orientated efforts with sliding ease.
Opener “Roll Up, Roll Up” gives us a great insight into the album with well paced catchy piano riffs, quirky lyrical motifs and soaring vocals. Running in tandem with bass and drums its a formidable force that takes you over and flows through to the more abstract “Picking Up The Pieces” which has a dramatic string arrangement for its bass line and comes across as a very atmospheric piece especially the come down and big rise for the finale.
“Take it in Turns” shines inparticular due to the duel vocal works of Cara and her fellow singer/songwriter friend and the uptempo pace of the number – a real highlight of the album. “Rebecca” almost twins it with a similar piano rff but stands out also with some excellent vocal work, excellent percussive sounds and a beautiful crescendo.
“Man on the Moon” see’s the piano take more of central stage with an original riff structure and time structure. You think the song will take a chord at a certain point in the riff but it holds out and out for it until when it does change chord it feels more satisfying and makes for a more intimate song.
“Peter and the Whale” starts off with the pitter-patters of high pitched pianos before the title track flies off into the sky really giving it some welly! The song reminds me very much of something a late 1980’s Kate Bush would have made with beautiful string pieces, swirling pianos and vocal ab-libs. Fantastic.
From there we go to the final two songs which are reminiscent of Cara’s début. “Remember” is a quirky but fragile song that has a lovely bridge which is rounded off by the electric piano “All She Said” which is one of the sweetest 1 minute 20 second songs I’ve heard.
It’s been a while in coming and while its short, Cara’s album is a fantastically written, produced and performed. We could have all wished for a few more songs but I’d rather be left wanting for more and the next release than left thinking “that’s enough”. For all singer/songwriter fans.