WINKS, THE - BIRTHDAY PARTY (CD)

special offer! "An elegant blend of modern fervor with an old-world charm, Birthday Party glistens with a timeless yet quirky pop panache. Primarily cello, mandolin, vocals, and percussion, The Winks are entirely void of any of the instruments traditionally used within rock music. Yet the structure, song writing, and execution suggests a contemporary and pop spirit, rich with "hooks". However, Birthday Party is, no doubt, the darkest of The Winks creative output, slanting the album title towards a moodier implication; a birthday party representing the overwhelming, daunting, and powerful sensation of growing older; celebratory, yet severe. It is an exploration of the bitter-sweet act of life itself. Essentially a duo, with the rest of the band in rotation, The Winks is Todd MacDonald on mandolin and vocals, and Tyr Jami on cello and vocals. An ambiguous couple, Todd and Tyr have been The Winks for a number of years, initially an improvised instrumental duo which gradually obtained more and more structure. Other members, whether on a more permanent level or as a sit-in for the studio, include Tim Sars on baritone saxophone, Paul Patko (Winning, The Red Light Sting) on drums, and Juno award winning violinist, Jesse Zubot. The result has a collective essence; a kind of open-door ease and sense of relaxation, like a musical party, or laid-back cult." (label info)