REVIEW: Heavy Metal – Cameron Winter
The first solo album from the Geese frontman impresses with creative, vulnerable songwriting.
By Owen Neaman
New York City-based singer-songwriter Cameron Winter was, until last December, best known for his work as the primary songwriter and frontman of the blues rock band Geese. Geese have certainly enjoyed commercial success, becoming a rock festival favorite in the post-pandemic era. However, their songs seem to be rehashes of mainstream blues rock, something Winter fortunately departs from on his first solo outing Heavy Metal.
Released with little social media fanfare, the album was supported by only a few touring dates in the US and Europe (most of them in churches). Heavy Metal also sees Winter taking on a completely different sound along with his new modes of operation.
Unlike the serene, upbeat groove of Geese, Heavy Metal is doused in a refreshing wave of melancholia, with Winter opting for a lower, throatier vocal delivery instead of the laid-back R&B falsetto and belting he uses with Geese. From the very first track, the arrangements are sublime. Warm acoustic guitars immerse the listener, accompanying Winter’s delivery of lines like:
I will keep breaking cups
Until my left hand looks wrong
Until my miracle drugs
Write the miracle song.
He manages to convey emotional and physical exhaustion while simultaneously sounding urgently awake and vital. The instrumental builds to a web of gorgeous vocal harmonies and electronic percussion. It’s a weary, sublime call for help that begs the audience to listen and honestly understand Winter’s hurt.
As the album progresses, the instrumentals become more ornate – “Nausicaä (Love Will Be Revealed)” features tight, soul-infused strings and soft electric organ reminiscent of classic 70s Motown. Tracks like “Love Takes Miles” and “Cancer of the Skull” build the instrumental palette even further, with tastefully subtle percussion and horns. The record is mixed so intimately that the listener doesn’t feel like they’re in the studio, but in a friend’s home listening to a live band.
In the second half of the album, the music takes a turn in a more somber direction, with Winter toning down the use of guitars and drums in favor of songs revolving mainly around vocals and piano. This enables him to showcase how creative he can get with his song structures: “Nina + Field of Cops” is laden with simmering, multi-tracked piano arrangements as Winter sings frantic prose over it. As the horns and swarm of backing vocals come in, the instrumental evokes an image of someone desperately trying to console a lover. Winter’s conviction and vulnerability are made clear as ever through these arrangements.
“$0” builds on this persona, only featuring vocals, piano and the occasional string flourish, as he sings
You’re making me feel
Like the dollar in your hand
You’re making me feel
Like I’m a zero-dollar man.
His delivery is painfully raw, and has hints of both woeful self-doubt and introspective self-deprecation. While somber, there’s an innate sense of hope and yearning to move forward throughout the album that keeps the listener hooked. Winter’s performances and songwriting on this album prove more consistent than that of any Geese album, and the future looks promising for him in the alternative songwriter canon. Heavy Metal lives up to the first part of its name, packing an emotional punch with seamless execution. Rarely is a singer-songwriter’s debut so cohesive and thoughtful, and Winter proves he’s a strong songwriter in his own right.