From Oakland, California, Winchester Revival (also known as WinRev) is an alternative rock band who just released its latest EP, Burden’s Landing. Members David Rosenheim (vocals), Andrew Lund (guitars, backing vocals), Ron Cruz (bass), Kirk Snedeker (drums), and Matt Glick (electronics) present five tracks inspired by such genres as ’70s California, punk, and alternative rock.

The guitar-driven melody in the EP opener, “Last Night in Tokyo”, makes the song almost hypnotic from the get go, a sensation further enhanced by how some of it has been “fuzzed” up. The poetry of the lyrics is a pleasant surprise and the chorus sweeps the listener up more fully into the evoked imagery. It’s almost like one can feel the love for a city combined with the gratitude of having been there and the pain of having to leave, all in one.

The melody in “Diligence” seems to rain, swirl, and flow around a solid core provided by strong vocals. It is by an electronic rain of sorts that opens the track with a twinkling of blips. It is composed of many layers and pieces that seem to be competing for attention, but the confusion is well organized, making for a roller coaster-like journey rather than a frustrating listen. The band does a bit of the same in the EP’s closing track, “Ice Water”, a more uptempo affair that also brings in the poetry of the EP’s opening track. The construction of this track is a little more typical in that, while it ebbs and flows, it has an upward build that culminates with an almost minute-long, dynamic, loud instrumental outro.

First published on Blogcritics.