Recently signed onto the Tooth and Nail subsidiary label BEC, the echoing green was given a chance to birth their most recent underground baby into the wider populace with the help of the larger, more mainstream label. Now mind you, I usually despise it when an artist re-releases a previously- especially if it was a recently- released record with one or two "bonus" tracks and calls it a Special Edition. It's unfair to the band's close fanbase and anyone else who picked up the older, now incompetent version. Thank you, I would like some Gouda with my Merlot.
But despite my misgivings, this new version of the disc is actually commendable in some ways. I was relatively impressed with the original version--songs such as "Someday," "Apology," "Fall Awake," the cover of Velour100's "Bittersweet," and the absolutely phenomenal "The Story of Our Lives" were all great tracks, and worthy of admission on their own; but some of the other tracks I felt were far less impressive, lacking in good hooks or strong melodies. What this recent Special Edition does is replace two of the weaker tracks of the original version with two better ones--"Heidi's Song" and "New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84)" with "Epiphany" and "The Sparrows and the Nightingales"--then adds one more song from last summer's The Story of Our Lives EP and an Echo Image remix of "The Story of Our Lives" to cap off the record. It improves the latter half of the disc quite a bit, actually.
The new material added--and the old stuff cut out--makes this Special Edition worth checking out for two reasons- it is both better and different from the original. Die-hard fans of the echoing green should pick this one up (if you haven't already) to not only get a slightly better version of tWooD, but because it is just different enough to make it a slightly new listen. Anyone who has not yet purchased tWooD would do themselves well to get this one instead of the original- and since the Special Edition is far more widely available (and supporting our favorite, lovable underground synthpop band is worth it), everything works out dandy.
3.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Steve WhiteThere's a reason Winter of Our Discontent was already a pick of the month at the Tollbooth. At the time of its release, this reviewer called it "syrupy sweet synth pop. Warm bass lines, aggressive beats, luscious harmonies, and beautiful melodies add up to terrific pop songs." It was true at the time of its indie release, and it's still true now. The album features what may well be the best song…The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Steve WhiteHis musical prowess is undeniable, as the Echoing Green's Joey Belville creates syrupy sweet synth pop. Warm bass lines, aggressive beats, luscious harmonies, and beautiful melodies add up to terrific pop songs. Known for combining the fun of '80s synth with today's electronica, it's as a lyricist that Joey B. has shown the most growth. The band's latest, Winter of Our Discontent shows Belville…Similar sounding releases
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