Chicago-based guitarist/composer Eli Winter has announced the release of a new self-titled album via North Carolina’s highly respected boutique record label Three Lobed Recordings. His output since his 2019 debut, The Time to Come, has been steady and constant, followed a year later by Unbecoming, described by Glenn Kimpton as more of an arrival record – “a far more ambitious recording, which fills the entire first side with a solo acoustic epic that immediately shows how far this player has already come.” Since his follow-up, we’ve been treated to two collaborations this year. The first saw Winter collaborating with keyboard and synthesizer artist Jordan Reyes on Controlled Burning, released on Ryley Walker’s Husky Pants label (reviewed here), and with Cameron Knowler in 2021 for Anticipation.
While his new album continues that collaborative thread, this is far more epic in scale. As Three Lobed so ably put it, he is joined by a murderer’s row of peers and contemporaries, including Cameron Knowler, Yasmin Williams, Jordan Reyes, David Grubbs, Ryley Walker, Tyler Damon, Sam Wagster, Jaimie Branch and more.
Despite the scale of this new album, the suggestion here is that Winter has not only deemphasised his role as a traditional bandleader, but in doing so, he has escaped any lingering shadows of his primary influences and come into his own. If you need any convincing, listen and watch the video for the lead single, For a Chisos Bluebonnet, featuring Winter on acoustic guitar, Tyler Damon on drums, Sam Wagster on pedal steel guitar and Cameron Knowler on electric guitar. The track totally underlines the suggested sympathetic playing; it’s a beauty…this album holds great promise.
The tongue-in-cheek biographical video was directed by Josiah Lydon, the Cinematographer was Jake Mills and Zeke Groth was the editor. Featuring cake, records, books and more cake.
Eli Winter releases on August 19, 2022, via Three Lobed Recordings.
Pre-Order via Bandcamp: https://threelobed.bandcamp.com/album/eli-winter