Tantalize: A Brief Review Of The New Album From Davey Woodward And The Winter Orphans (ex-The Brilliant Corners)

Davey Woodward made memorable music in The Brilliant Corners and now he's back again with a new band, Davey Woodward and the Winter Orphans. The group's latest self-titled record is out today via Tapete Records, and it's a largely invigorating listen.

Stuff like "Build a Boat" has a nice ramshackle charm, while the superb "Caroline" sounds as much like mid-period Velvet Underground as the law will probably allow. Elsewhere, "Tantalise" and "Home" suggest both Wreckless Eric and The Lilac Time, both worthy comparison points, even as the slower and more languid numbers here ("Tangerine Dream", "Black Lipstick") echo, however faintly, works from Bob Dylan and Luke Haines, among many others. Davey Woodward and the Winter Orphans is a far more successful record when things bounce a bit and I found some of these slower songs not as enjoyable as others may find them, despite the effort that went into their creation. Woodward is prodigiously talented, and a track like "Dylan's Poster" sounds enough like a solo Robert Forster number that one wishes there was more material like this on this record.

Despite my nitpicking, Davey Woodward and the Winter Orphans is a fine album and fans of The Brilliant Corners are likely to welcome back this songwriter with arms wide open.

More details on Davey Woodward and the Winter Orphans, the album and the band, via Tapete Records.

[Photo: Jon Kent]