It’s a fair guess that Shirley Lee was only a schoolboy when Airplane! was released. Despite this possible setback, Mr Lee has had no problem in establishing himself as a mainstay of the British indie scene as frontman of Spearmint and “Winter Autumn Summer Spring” is his second solo album. What’s on offer is a double-disc affair, relating the four seasons to the concept of human mortality.
Disc One (Winter Autumn) plays largely on a lo-fi indie sound which isn’t at all foreign to Mr Lee. That remains until “Winter Light” ventures into a vaguely atmospheric electronic territory to no real effect. “Beachy Head” uses the sounds of waves instead of instruments to decent effect while “The Haunted” is interrupted midway by an unpleasant guitar solo. However, “We Had Forever”, on which Lee whispers above delicate acoustic stabs, is an immediate atonement. However, at the halfway mark, it’s still unclear exactly where Lee is trying to take the listener.
Disc Two (Summer Spring) does fare considerably better. While there’s nothing memorable about “I Remember You”, a thorough tribute to John Peel is spoken, not sung, and certainly is the most impressive song so far. “The Coast of Capri” continues this surprising turn of form. An entirely unmoving instrumental (“Memories of a Summer”) interrupts the flow, and form dips once again. The minimalistic “We Will Never Be This Young Again” lacks the lyrical impact that Lee may himself detect and this criticism can arguably be applied to most songs on the album. Strangely, “Good Days and Bad Days” is the first and only time that we hear Lee break into a falsettoed singing voice. Perhaps if he had done so earlier, the less tolerable tracks might’ve been improved?
The album struggles to score points for production, also. It may well be that Mr Lee handicapped himself in taking on every role needed in the writing and recording process. In a manner in which he couldn’t have intended, “Winter Autumn Summer Spring” is poorly balanced and at 30 tracks long is not going to keep the attention of the listener. While certain songs show Lee’s true ability, there’s still not enough musical or lyrical intrigue to make this album a worthwhile listen. In bringing it all together, Lee has neglected the issue of depth.