Brighton dream-punks Winter Gardens signal their return with a revitalized lineup and an EP that takes etherealism to a new level.  Listeners are invited to enjoy a trance with the Macabre Divine EP.

ENJOYING A SURGE

Brighton dream-punks Winter Gardens are enjoying something of a surge at the moment.  The band revitalized and consolidated its lineup in 2025 and their EP, Uncomfortable/Unlovable garnered generous praise from BBC Radio and in factions of the mainstream music press.  With their new EP, Macabre Divine – a collection that takes the concept of etherealism to a whole new level – Winter Gardens look set fair to consolidate that success.

The band’s current lineup is: Ananda Howard (lead vocals), Jamie Windless (guitar), Ed Fair (bass) and Conor McCorkindale (drums).  Since their inception, Winter Gardens have taken their musical inspiration from the likes of Echo & The Bunnymen and Gary Numan.  Fans of those acts will find much to enjoy on Macabre Divine.

ETHEREAL IS THE ONLY WORD…

It’s the EP’s lead single, Adored, that gets Macabre Divine up and running.  The sound is tight and dreamy – just the kind of thing, in fact, that dominated the more discerning of public places circa 1981.  Conor’s drums are punchy, Jamie’s guitar equally so and synths swirl and soar.  But it’s Ananda’s vocals that really catch the ear.  Ethereal is the only word for them.

The lyrics to follow-up single, Fragile Boy, capture the unique grief of mourning someone when they are still physically present.  “They reflect the bittersweet experience of holding onto memories of the person they once were, while learning to love the person they have become,” say the band.  Synth and drums combine to form a melodic dreamscape; Ananda’s vocals are slightly more grounded but they still float amongst the clouds.  The song builds slowly and subtly, before breaking out into bloom, at around the 2:30 mark, when the band notch things up.  Finally, Ananda brings things to a close, with a plead of: “Don’t forget my name.”

NOTHING TO PUNCTURE THE MAGIC

There’s a pastoral interlude of chiming guitar, electronic rhythm and waves of synth – a passage that’s tagged Violet Corridors – before Ananda leads the way into The Yearning, the dreamiest song in a collection of dreams.  Ananda’s double-tracked vocals take on the qualities of a celestial choir, whilst Conor’s drums splash and rattle.  The synth, when it breaks through, assumes a dominant role, without puncturing the dreamlike magic.  Even Jamie’s hard-edged guitar doesn’t manage to do that!

And Macabre Divine is brought to a close by its epic title track.  The angelic double-tracked vocals are retained and the twangy guitar, ponderous bass, considered drumbeat and swishes of synth give the voices plenty of room to operate.  And, best of all, there’s a heavy, resonant coda to rouse the listeners from their happy trance and remind them that reality looms once more…

And, to celebrate the release of Macabre Divine, Winter Gardens will soon be embarking on an autumn tour in the company of their friends Opal Mag.  Details of the itinerary and ticket availability can be found here.

Watch the official video to Adored – the album’s lead single – below:

Winter Gardens: Bandcamp

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