The band’s album, Between Colours, is far-reaching. “When a band isn’t changing, it’s not growing,” says guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist Will Whitwham. From the band’s inception, it has redefined itself with every album; from Hymns of Love and Spirits through When You Left The Fire, Island of Echoes and The Leslieville Sessions. The evolution of their sound has run the gamut from four part harmonies and chamber folk to their current more cinematic arrangements.
Between Colours, showcases an explosion of strength with Whitwham and vocalist/guitarist/violinist Amanda Balsys trading and sharing lead vocals, and with a more rhythmic bottom end led by bassist Wes McClintock. Recorded at Revolution Recording in Toronto with producer Joe Dunphy, the album fully embraces all the studio had to offer. To address the wider range of dynamics in the songs, drummers Tom Bona, Marito Marques and Howie Beck were brought into the sessions. Other guests included Michael Phillip Wojewoda on theremin and Alex Lifeson with a signature guitar solo. The expanding instrumentation and layered guitar and synth effects combine to create one-listen pop hooks and adventurous sonic exploration.
November
The Wilderness of Manitoba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, the feeling
Cast a burden overhead
Across the ceiling
And the phantom always waits
For the midnight
Holds the dreamer in his hands
Through the auburn streets of leaves
I'm surrounded
Devils dance up in the trees
To keep me grounded
Desert sun and sweet fires burn
Through the evening
As this train tears down the tracks
I am leaving
She is waiting by a bay
Through the clearing
I awake to find her face
Disappearing
Far across the burning land
I remember
Frozen in October's sun
Comes November
The Wilderness of Manitoba's song November is a melancholic track that highlights the feelings of loneliness and burden. The lyrics depict the despair and agony felt by the singer, who is haunted by a phantom at midnight. The weight of all the loneliness they have felt manifests itself as a burden that looms over them, metaphorically represented by the way it spreads across the ceiling. The phantom always waits for the midnight, shadows the singer's eyes, and holds the dreamer in its hands, indicating that they are figuratively trapped and unable to escape from their emotions.
The auburn streets amidst the sea of leaves provide no respite to the singer as devils dance up in the trees, further entrenching them in their feeling of grounding. As the train tears down the tracks, the singer leaves all these emotions and feelings behind only to find the face of someone they were leaving behind. The song's final lines are haunting, as the singer remembers the frozen October's sun that comes November, giving a bleak indication that they may not find solace even in the future. Overall, the song summarizes the inexplicable feeling of despair that comes with loneliness and how it can turn into an immense burden that becomes tough to carry around with oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
All the loneliness we felt
We felt overwhelmed with loneliness
Oh, the feeling
It's a difficult feeling to explain
Cast a burden overhead
It felt heavy and weighed on us
Across the ceiling
It seemed to fill the entire space
And the phantom always waits
There's always something lurking in the background
For the midnight
It's waiting for the right moment to strike
Holds the dreamer in his hands
It's like a nightmare you can't escape from
Shadows his eyes
It's everywhere he looks
Through the auburn streets of leaves
The streets are covered with beautiful, leafy autumn foliage
I'm surrounded
I feel completely enveloped by this scene
Devils dance up in the trees
There's a sinister quality to the atmosphere
To keep me grounded
It's as if I'm being reminded of the darker aspects of life
Desert sun and sweet fires burn
I'm witnessing the beauty of the natural world
Through the evening
As night begins to fall
As this train tears down the tracks
I'm leaving my current situation behind
I am leaving
I'm saying goodbye to the past
She is waiting by a bay
There's someone special waiting for me in a beautiful place
Through the clearing
I'm clearing my mind and focusing on the present
I awake to find her face
I'm filled with happiness and anticipation
Disappearing
But I'm also nervous that it won't last forever
Far across the burning land
I'm looking back and remembering a different time and place
I remember
I'm revisiting a memory
Frozen in October's sun
It's like time stood still and everything was perfect
Comes November
But now time has moved on and things have changed
Contributed by Liam W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
PartySober
All the loneliness we felt
Oh, the feeling
Cast a burden overhead
Across the ceiling
And the phantom always waits
For the midnight
Holds the dreamer in his hands
Shadows his eyes
Through the auburn streets of leaves
I'm surrounded
Devils dance up in the trees
To keep me grounded
Desert sun and sweet fires burn
Through the evening
As this train tears down the tracks
I am leaving
She is waiting by a bay
Through the clearing
I awake to find her face
Disappearing
Far across the burning land
I remember
Frozen in October's sun
Comes November
swteve
This is the sound of six o'clock sunsets, of a cup of hot chocolate in frostbitten hands, the sound of Canada being buried in a midnight snowfall. Beautiful.
Elisabeth Gahnström
Exactly how I feel too!
rglovesu2
This is haunting - they are pitch-perfect live. Stunning.
emilyjimalee
Why hasn't the world discovered this talented group yet?
Jeremy de Boer
This group has an amazing vocal effect..their voices together just sound so unique
Fledhyris Proudhon
Beautiful. Yes, here from Haven, and now I have discovered a fantastic band, so thank you for licensing that :)
Måire
Haven't heard harmonies like this since Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young.
Robin Barker
An amazing band with an amazing sound. Had the privilege of them seeing them for the second time at The Frog & Fiddle in Cheltenham, England the weekend just gone :-)
lawlesslotski
Such beautiful voices
Melissa Garcia
I realy realy love this song! Guys your music is amazing