Admittedly, going in, I didn’t know a lot about the headliner, the South Carolina-spawned, Nashville-based alternative quintet Winyah. After witnessing their blistering set Saturday night, I can firmly state I’m a believer.
Winyah’s music is East, as in London, and Southern, as in South Carolina and Nashville twang. Their guitar lines and textures are effects-drenched UK classic tones, meet soaring Southern melodies and a dash of funky, syncopated, off-kilter rhythms. They definitely like blending their own musical backyard with textures from across the Atlantic equally.
The charismatic guitarist and vocalist Thomas Rowland’s vocals and their harmonies have a sound somewhat reminiscent of the reedy twang of Cage The Elephant‘s Matt Schultz. He was joined by lead guitarist Luke Gordon, bassist Stephen Russell, keyboardist Robert Buffington, and drummer Jacob Riley.
Lead guitarist Luke Gordon, sporting an angular UK cut, definitely favors the British guitar textures of the Smiths’ Johnny Marr, the effects-heavy tones of the Verve’s Nick McCabe, and more. And, in my book, that’s a huge plus. Not every guitarist needs to be a Yngwie Malmsteen.
Their music was impossible to pigeonhole. Each player has their own influences and style, but they somehow manage to blend them into something cohesive, fresh, and compelling, rising above mediocrity and predictability. They threw a lot of musical curveballs, but the audience caught them.
