Graceful Consolations by The Winter Journey

'Graceful Consolations' is the first new album from The Winter Journey in over 15 years.

The Winter Journey are Anthony Braithwaite and Suzy Mangion (George, Ghostwriter, Arbol, Piano Magic). They are a married couple from Manchester who do things differently. They sing in close harmony. They tap-danced when they played live. Their comeback single, 'Little Consolation', was recorded on an Edison phonograph, and became possibly the only contemporary wax cylinder recording ever played on 6Music.

This is a record that almost disappeared. It was recorded between 2011 and 2014 with producer and musician Pete Philipson (Makushin, Jane Weaver, Fenella) bringing a new depth and richness to their sound. And then - silence.

Suzy’s solo album 'Days Lost To Snow' (Turning Circle, 2023), told this story, of how life throws us curves that can leave music forgotten or lost, and then rediscovered. Following Turning Circle's 2024 reissue of 'This Is The Sound of The Winter Journey', their home-made debut album, we are delighted to finally bring you 'Graceful Consolations' in all its high-fidelity glory, together with an accompanying limited-edition art book to add to your listening pleasure.

No two songs on 'Graceful Consolations' are alike, but they all come from the heart. The 12 songs range from village hall harmonies, 60s folk-pop, country music heartache, songs for swingle lovers, Abba singing Krautrock, banjos, feedback drones and most points in-between; while the lyrics tell of hope, the passing of time, the sadness of losing those you loved, and the joy of rediscovering things you thought were lost.

REVIEWS for GRACEFUL CONSOLATIONS:

'This is a work of art, an album that truly demands your full attention and immersion: for which it will pay dividends. Truly delightful and equally moody, poignant and emotionally charged, this subtle album was worth waiting all the time for: I can see it easily making (yes, I’m aware it’s only January) most end of year lists; it will certainly be in mine.' (MONOLITH COCKTAIL)

'We’re taken through pared-down Pentanglisms (“Downhill” and “The Way That You Are”); scholarly nods to the wispy folk interludes of post-Syd-pre-Dark Side Of The Moon Pink Floyd (“English Estuaries” and “City Of Truro”); Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris-style duetting (“Late Night Line”); arcane gramophone detours (“Little Consolation”); pretty ABBA-meets-Belle & Sebastian earworming (“Words First”); eerie spectral hauntings (“Bedford Falls”); and utterly majestic Yo La Tengo-meets-Saloon motorik-pop propulsions (“The Years”). Crucially, holding all it in place and taking things into transcendental trajectories are some genuinely extraordinary interlocking vocal arrangements from Braithwaite and Mangion throughout the album, marking out the release of Graceful Consolations as anything but a mere tape-cupboard excavating exercise. Wonderful stuff.' (FREQ)

'This kind of music is a double-edged sword, to be sure, but The Winter Journey wield it like experts–this dozen-track comeback album sounds delightful and captivating all the way through.... This is Graceful Consolations in a nutshell–deceptively simple, but complete and containing so much.' (ROSY OVERDRIVE)

'There is depth, width and emotional value to be found in “Graceful Consolations” and it is the mix of these three things that provide the resulting aural intoxication that soon diverts a man’s mind from the ways of the concrete world.' (BLUES BUNNY)

THIS IS THE SOUND OF THE WINTER JOURNEY:

'peerless in a word... a spellbinding treat' (LOSING TODAY)
'laden with tiny pieces of beauty... it's all just so lovely' (BBC INTRODUCING)
'utterly delicious in its dreamy gentleness' (Chris Long, BBC)
'The Winter Journey conjure up gorgeous tapestries of rustic country folk music... a group dripping with quaint romanticism, bookish sophistication and lots and lots of cool refinement' (MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS)
'If you want something that literally captures the sound of Christmas past, then Manchester's The Winter Journey have the perfect answer' (FOLKING)
'enthralling in its own right... a salmagundi of stylings' (CONCRETE ISLANDS)

Tracklist

1.	Downhill	2:23

2.	English Estuaries	3:54

3.	The Way That You Are	3:11

4.	City of Truro	2:49

5.	Late Night Line	3:02

6.	High Days End	4:41

7.	Little Consolation	1:32

8.	Words First	3:23

9.	Family Line	3:49

10.	Bedford Falls	3:29

11.	The Years	5:51

12.	Friday Night For Sure	4:21

Credits

released January 31, 2025

All words and music written by Anthony Braithwaite, except 'Little Consolation', which was written by Anthony Braithwaite & Suzy Mangion.

Recorded, mixed and produced by Pete Philipson at Pollen Road and 80 Hertz.

Pete Philipson played Höfner bass on 'The Way That You Are', 'Late Night Line', and 'Words First', Fender bass on 'The Years', and bowed acoustic guitar on 'Family Line'. Chris Hillman played pedal steel guitar on 'Late Night Line'. Ian 'Budgie' Jones played drums on 'The Way That You Are', 'Words First', and 'The Years'. Jasper Philipson contributed additional vocals and atmosphere. All other instruments played by The Winter Journey.

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