I can’t realistically explain why it is we haven’t seen WINDINGS for over a year now. Having made one of the best independent Irish albums in recent years with 2010’s ‘It’s Never Night’, the Limerick quintet have long since established themselves as firm W&H favourites and it’s only been a combination of circumstances too complicated to delve into here that prevented us catching either their last De Barra’s show or their triumphant appearance at the Clonakilty Guitar Festival.
Anywhere, third time lucky and thank some higher power for that because Windings have only raised the bar for themselves (again) in the interim. A third LP ‘I Am Not The Crow’ has been recorded – partly with Efrim Menuck from Godspeed! You Black Emperor in Montreal – and recently released on limited edition picture disc vinyl and, despite stiff opposition from its predecessor, it’s surely the best thing to bear their name to date.
It’s been made by a slightly reconfigured line-up. Drummer Aaron Mulhall has departed, though Brian Meaney proves to be a more than able replacement both on record and onstage while, since the album sessions, Liam Marley has gone on sabbatical, allowing Mike Gavin to take over extra guitar duties and new man Gary to fill in live on (mostly) bass and keyboards, though as always with Windings, whenever any given texture is needed someone will step in and capably do the necessary.
There’s no support as ‘I Am Not The Crow’ takes flight for the first time at De Barra’s, but then it would have been surplus to requirements, for the music Windings are currently alchemising is truly remarkable.
As with the LP, the eight-minute ‘Sun In My Bones’ makes for an astonishing statement of intent, morphing from its pastoral, folks-y opening through to Teenage Fanclub-style autumnal melancholy and finally veering off into a star-sailing guitar blowout from Stephen Ryan. Follow that? OK, well the subtle, but determined ‘Something Outnumbered’ (with a wonderfully resigned Ryan vocal) provides an oasis of calm before the venomous, Sonic Youth-style overload of ‘Alkaterian Are Alright’ provides the evening’s first full-on punk rock thrills.
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The ‘I Am Not The Crow’ material is responsible for the bulk of the set, though the two superb, album-bridging singles - the infectiously poppy, Napalm Death-referencing ‘Embury Greenway’ and ‘The Hassle’ (with Patrick O’Brien’s cowbell assault going into overdrive) – both remain staples. From the new album, ‘Cleaner’ is probably the closest in spirit to ‘It’s Never Night”s more introspective moments and it follows on logically from a poised version of Ryan’s gentle, J. Mascis-referencing ‘Old Like J.’
Weaving haunting spells, the loops and atmosphere-drenched ‘Local Broken Man’ brings the main set to a close, though there’s still time for a solitary encore. For this, Windings again turn back to ‘It’s Never Night’ for an epic ‘These Horses Also Ran’, with Meaney hypnotically building the galloping rhythm until it stretches to breaking point and Ryan and Gavin finally deliver the white-hot guitar crescendo. It is quite simply stunning.
It’s been quite a night and with ‘I Am Not The Crow’ preparing to spread its wings, it seems these Limerick boys are ready to fly far greater distances than ever before. “We’re called Windings, in case you didn’t know,” offers Ryan early on, pointing to the band’s backdrop, which is – literally – up in lights these days. Make sure you learn it now: it should become a household name if there’s still any justice left in this miserable old world.
Listen to Windings at Bandcamp
Out On A Limb Records online
De Barra's online
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