The Wind-Ups Confection LP
Third LP from Chico, CA’s WIND-UPS. Started as Jake Sprecher’s solo endeavor, the project has evolved to include many different credited musicians, most notably JONATHAN RICHMAN’s electric guitar work on the outro “Little Boy Blue” (originally on the ’23 Jonathan Says EP). Is there a steady lineup? Unclear, though there is a trio pictured on the Bandcamp page. Inside, we find a RAMONES-core, burnt-sugar kind of power pop that owes as much to the aforementioned greats as they do to the shamble and sweetness of pandemic-era bedroom projects. I kind of glazed over at first, but after a few listens getting through the powdered, confectionary “Fine Pink Mist” (great, punchy opener), I really enjoyed this. Some standouts of the album for me are “(That’s Just My) Dream Girl” and “To Keep Away,” both which really lean into the RAMONES sound. Kerra Jessen wrote and co-performed “Cheer Up,” which may be the feel-good, don’t-be-too-down-on-yourself song of the year, and features some shoegaze-y guitars during the chorus, in contrast to the otherwise light and sparse verse. And JONATHAN RICHMAN on “Little Boy Blue”?? That reference alone could speak for itself, but the song is actually one of my favorites, featuring a blown-out, melancholic energy that feels well-placed at the album’s end. Is this sad birthday music? Is it the glistening, split-skinned cherry atop a cake no one asked for? Is it a bad haircut on a windy day? You decide.