By Dan Matheson
Paul Reeves’ Winter’s Over:
1. Winter’s Over
2. Mystery
3. Put Me Down
4. Come To Me
5. You Make Me Believe
6. You’ll Be The One
7. Love Has Won
8. Without You
9. Dust And Steam
10. Come And See
It seems ironic that Atlanta, GA based singer/songwriter Paul Reeves’ fourth album, Winter’s Over, is being released just before winter starts (at least for this reviewer, who calls Canada, the great white north, “home”). But it actually makes sense, in that this collection of warm, comforting, and uplifting songs will be available for the most depressing and dreary of seasons. As Paul puts it in the opening track:
Always winter, never Christmas.
Spring and summer seem to skip us.
With about six months of bitter cold and darkness where I live, that lyric seems all too true. So let me thank you, Paul, for this gem of an album to give me hope through the cold, bleak months that lie ahead. New life awaits, but not just in the season of spring.
Life begins again with each waking moment, and “Winter’s Over” is steeped in fresh starts and rejuvenated life. This is a very personal album, not just for Paul, but for everyone who hears it and sees themselves in the songs. Reeves says that the whole project is permeated with the theme of “newness.”
“In the Bible, it says that when we start to follow Jesus, we are a new creation. The old person that we used to be dies, and its replaced with something new. It says that this new creation is in Christ. When God looks at us, He sees Jesus. And Jesus is perfect. Do the math. God sees us as perfect. The trick is getting this to sink in,” says Reeves.
The album starts off with the title track, Mystery, with a soothing and hopeful atmosphere that sets the mood for the rest of the album. Its quiet reflection is moving, and the melodies seem pleading yet emotionally stirring. Next up, “Put Me Down,” picks up the pace with a foot-stomping, indie-rock feel.
“Come to Me” is a soothing, uplifting piece grounded with compassion and one the best songs here–like a call to arms, arms held out in welcome comfort. “Dust and Steam” is a song with a xylophone melody that enhances its innocence and simplicity. It’s an emotionally-raw, piano-driven piece, a song whose feeling is worn on its sleeve.
My favorite song, Love Has Won,” starts off with folk-like finger-picking and a subtle country twang that transcends into a powerfully poignant chorus and crescendo’s with Paul’s vocals in what is, I think, his best performance on the album. His voice quivers, like he is unsure of how to express what he’s feeling, but finally his voice ends up soaring on wings of melody.
Paul Reeve’s “Winter’s Over” is a solid collection of heartfelt Brit-infused pop that seamlessly mixes faith and life experiences with compassion and hope, tying it all together with the sweeping melodies of guitars and keyboards.
The biggest compliment I think I can give is the soothing calmness that washed over me the first time I listened to the album on my way home from a rough day at work. To me, that speaks volumes.
Dan is an avid music lover and a metalhead at heart. Dan is Canadian and brother to fellow reviewer Jody. In his spare time from his Marketing &Sales job, he blogs about his extensive CD collection.