sanssouci by Winter Boyfriend
'sanssouci' is French for 'without worry', and yet the album spends its entire 12 songs, 42 minutes and 43 seconds hyperventilating and freaking out.
With sad-sap lyrics and fluent melodies against a backdrop of indie punk, emo and indie rock, Winter Boyfriend have created a record about friendship, anxiety, an idea of a dream or idealised future that needs preserving and protecting. It's a destination, albeit a non-physical one.
Shreddy guitar solos butt up against box-wine-in-a-plastic-cup messy lyrics and riffs power the most vulnerable of songs. Toilets are hidden in for mid-date panic attacks, seas are for running away from your 'real life' to, nights are for staying up all night talking to your favourite person, about your favourite bands, the ocean swell is for walking into and accepting the draw of the current.
Escaping from duty and responsibility is a major theme of the album, particularly in 'this is not the med', about dreaming of running away to the Mediterranean sea. The theme comes up again in 'on our way home', where after talking about feeling like a failure there is an exhilarating coda where the song races off with fuzzy guitars, fast, trashy drums, and lyrics asking "what if we never went home tonight?". There is a feeling described of "waiting for something to happen".
In the near-title track ,'sanssouci', there are boxes of possessions packed up, and a lament of "a future so bright on paper, moving back to the outer-skirts". Likewise, in 'dandelion', the flower represents a dream that needs to be nurtured and protected. It could be buried, or better yet planted like a seed.
Tracklist
| 1. | tan lines | 3:08 |
| 2. | this is not the med | 3:22 |
| 3. | dandelion | 3:12 |
| 4. | Sanssouci | 3:13 |
| 5. | ziggurat (don't wait) | 3:56 |
| 6. | (party) in parenthesis | 4:53 |
| 7. | this is still not the med (reprise) | 1:03 |
| 8. | wide awake | 2:58 |
| 9. | anx/bodies | 2:53 |
| 10. | on our way home | 3:48 |
| 11. | swell | 6:05 |
| 12. | i feel small | 4:11 |
Credits
All music and lyrics written and performed by Francis Samuel Whitehead
Drums for "anx/bodies" and "this is not the med" recorded by Sebastian Whitehead at Westminster University Studios
Drums for "tan lines", "dandelion", "(party) in parenthesis", "this is still not the med (reprise)" and "wide awake" recorded by Kurt Wood at Cornerhouse Studios
Drums for "Sanssouci", "ziggurat (don't wait)", "on our way home", "swell" and "i feel small" recorded in my parents kitchen
Everything else recorded at home
Mixed and mastered by Francis Samuel Whitehead
Artwork by Ruth Whitehead
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Thanks to:
Sebastian Whitehead for drum recording and general mixing advice
Kurt Wood at Cornerhouse Studios for drum recording
Dave Johnston for being a bandmate, a patient sounding-board for bad ideas and, most of all, a pal
Ruth for the incredible artwork and advice along the way.
My parents for letting me record the rest of the drums in their tiny kitchen, but also my entire formative musical education
Family, friends, ex-partners and neighbours for putting up with me making a lot of noise, often bad
Everyone in the diy scene who has been encouraging and positive, i needed that
