Winter Gloves 'about a girl' album

Let me Drive EP is about seduction and urban lifestyle. It has been recorded with one single microphone in Montreal between a rehearsal studio across the Molson factory and a small apartment. Vincent Chalifour and Charles F mixed the EP letting ambient noises tint each song in order to generate a pleasant dirty sound.

Paper Bag Records is behind the release of Winter Gloves' full length debut, about a girl, which pick up where these song sketches left off. The album was recorded in Toronto during the Winter of 2008 with Producer Jon Drew (Tokyo Police Club, F*cked Up).

Montreal’s fertile music scene has given birth to a brand new gem in the form of Winter Gloves, a band destined for success far beyond the native Canadian borders that first embraced it. Named “Best New Artist of 2008” by iTunes Canada, the foursome are ready to descend upon the US with their keyboard-heavy, rhythmically-propulsive pop compositions. The guys will first introduce themselves with the three-song, digital-only Let Me Drive EP – which features early versions of several tracks from their forthcoming debut full-length, about a girl.

The quartet, who endearingly dub themselves “glock-rock” for their use of the oft-ignored glockenspiel, began as the solo project of Charles F. (lead singer/songwriter/wurlitzer). Charles created the early Winter Gloves recordings that make up Let Me Drive EP in his own home using a single microphone. The project soon evolved into a four-piece ensemble that also includes Pat Sayers (drums), Vincent Chalifour (synth), and Jean-Michel Pigeon (guitar/glockenspiel).

Let Me Drive EP explodes right out of the gates with the title track. The song doesn’t waste a second in getting bodies on the dancefloor with frenzied drums and infectious keys. Soon, angular guitars stab and ominous synth lines hum while Charles wails with a plea for control, singing “I thought you were ultimately right / I know you’re not / Come on just let me drive.” On “I Can’t Tell You,” his voice alternates from carrying a touch of gritty seasoning to shifting into elegant falsetto. Closing track “Piano 4 Hands” ends the EP with a warm, inviting wurlitzer melody and Charles lets out ghostly coos in between his seductive verses. This trio of songs serve as a mere appetizer for the forthcoming main course, about a girl, on which the band expands its scope and unleashes some of its best melodies.

Winter Gloves has also recorded a cover of LCD Soundsystem’s “Someone Great” – boiling down the epic dance track into a compact two minutes that highlight the song’s most memorable bits.

press quotes
A 30 minute set from my current Canadian indie fascination, Winter Gloves. I absolutely adore these guys. - Much Music V Fest Blog (Sept 2008)

About A Girl takes a handful of songs from the Let Me Drive EP, polishes them to perfection, then hits you with another dose of what synth pop rock is all about. - Exclaim! (Sept 2008)

While this Montreal act's debut EP consisted largely of demos performed by frontman Charles F., their upcoming album captures the sound of a band in the exhilarating process of inventing its own identity. In broad strokes, it is melodic, rhythmically aggressive, yet still "indie" in sensibility. - Toronto Star (Aug 2008)

Montreal's synth-heavy Winter Gloves focus on melody and groove for all the right reasons. They play in the service of the song. Their debut album, About A Girl, features 10 tight tracks of poetic pop constructs. Most of the songs are short, under three minutes, but cover a lot of emotional territory. - North Shore News (Sept 2008)

If you were wondering how Paper Bag would fill the void created by Tokyo Police Club's move to Saddle Creek, look no further than Montreal trio Winter Gloves. - NOW (Sept 2008)

Another new hip indie band from Montreal? Impossible! Zut alors, mon pamplemousse! - Gentleman's Writing Club (Sept 2008)

about a girl is not only impressive as a debut but as an example of a pop album embracing its heavier and lighter sides. - Queen's Journal (Sept 2008)

about a girl gets your attention from the very first "Ah Ohh" uttered over a programmed drum beat. By the third track I felt I'd come across a new favourite to sit nicely alongside Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, or any other in the slew of good Montreal–based indie bands. - Pulse Niagara (Sept 2008)

I recently received 'about a girl', the debut album from Montreal's 'Winter Gloves' in the post and have been listening to it pretty much everyday since. Yep, it's that addictive! The album is set to drop on Paper Bag Records, September 9th and is sure to make some sort of mega splash in the music bloggersphere over the next few months. - Bloggertronix (August 2008)

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Winter Gloves - about a girl