"Glen Phillips - Winter Pays For Summer"

Glen Phillips's first solo outting, Abulum, was a studied, subtle affair, a quiet collection of stripped-down folk rock numbers released independently to little public fanfare. It was an album of simple, basic pleasures, one in which Phillips explored the darker corners of his psyche and his life and came away asking more questions than he ever really answered. It was still an excellent album, but one which was calculated to have a narrow appeal.

With his second studio album, Winter Pays for Summer, the former Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman has shifted gears almost entirely. In place of Abulum's stripped-down arrangements are lush, lovingly-crafted tunes full of layers of shimmering guitars, pianos, keyboards, and the occasional string section or brass section. Winter smooths out its predecessor's rough edges, polishing Phillips's songs to a glorious pop sheen.

The key here is songcraft. Phillips has it in spades. The songs here are clever, witty, warm, and introspective. So were the lyrics on Abulum, but that album seemed to distance itself from the listener, while Winter invites you in, tells you to kick off your shoes and sit down by the fire and enjoy yourself. Winter is, on the average, a much more joyful and lighthearted album. There are still songs about strife and pain--the opener, "Duck and Cover," documents the decline and collapse of a dysfunctional family, and "Half Life" makes a plea for honesty in a relationship--but many of these songs deal with happiness, true love, and contentment.

There are several songs on the album that anyone already familiar with Phillips's solo work will recognize. "Thankful" has appeared in three or four different versions since it was debuted on his website a year or two ago. It also made an appearance on his solo acoustic live album, Live at Largo. "Courage" has likewise seen several different versions--he has played different arrangements of the song with Nickel Creek and Toad the Wet Sprocket, and he's cut two or three different versions of it himself (such a scrapped version originally intended for this album cut with producer Glen Johns). "Easier" is one of the first songs Phillips recorded when Toad broke up, and the demo version made the rounds on the internet for ages. There are several live versions of the song as well (it's a fan favorite, after all), including a version on Live at Largo. An acoustic version of "Falling" was also available through the website. The album's closer, "Don't Need Anything," was originally available through Phillips's website in a solo acoustic version, though here it is a beautiful piano ballad. These five songs are reworked from their demo versions or live versions, and the new recordings do each song justice. "Thankful" is a fun rocker, "Courage" has a stately beauty and meloncholy to it, "Falling" is more uptempo and catchy than the original demo, "Easier" is smoother than the original demo (though I'm a little annoyed by the self-censorship in this song. Let's just say that the line "I wouldn't stop with an ear I would cut off my whole freakin' face" originally didn't say "freakin'," if you know what I mean) but no less effective, and "Don't Need Anything" actually benefits from the change in instrumentation.

The new songs on the album are just as strong as the archival material. Musically, Winter is much more varied than Abulum, a record which stuck pretty close to the indie folk-rock style throughout. "Cleareyed" is the best U2 song U2 never recorded; "Gather" frollics dangerously close to Sting-inspired worldbeat; "Released" is a moving, beautiful ballad; and "True" flirts with faux-Philly soul to entertaining effect.

Each song is carried by Phillips's warm, smooth vocals. There's a simplicity to his voice that's disarming and charming. Phillips is an evocative, emotive vocalist, crafting impressive melodies with apparently effortless ease.

Winter Pays for Summer is an excellent pop-rock album. It's unassuming, warm, and joyful. The music is catchy and hummable, the lyrics are thoughtful and almost tailor-made for singalong choruses. Phillips has created a charming, well-crafted album that just gets better with each listen. Highly recommended.

~chuck

Song of the Moment: Glen Phillips, "Courage"