UMBRELLAS’ ILLUMINARE
(Latin; meaning to light the way or illustrate.)
When Scott Windsor and the timeless yet refreshing band Umbrellas released their debut self-titled record in 2005, they may not have guessed that one year later, they’d find themselves livening-up a drab, abandoned comedy club—recording songs on giant stages and in refrigerators for their follow-up, Illuminare. Umbrellas’ sophomore Militia Group release was recorded in two solid weeks of near fifteen-hour recording sessions, where Scott and his band’s musings were tested and brought to life.
When Umbrellas’ debut hit the shelves, it was recognized as a dynamic, eager offering. The band toured heavily and new ideas began swimming inside Windsor’s head. Those ideas formed icebergs—and the only option was to dismantle and re-conduct the near-avalanche of visions, abstractions, melodies and structures. The debut, birthed in decidedly artistic, collaborative ways, proved to be an even more cautious outing compared to Illuminare.
Hanging blankets across the empty, dusty and evocative shell of an old comedy club, Scott and his Umbrellas started tracking their new record Illuminare. They went forth in unsafe, less-than secure scenarios with nearby ‘06 tornados in Oklahoma. Scott recalls: “The old comedy club had an odd feel to it. Grossly low-lit, strange hallways, off-color backrooms good for nothing—right there in the middle of downtown Tulsa—dodging tornados in the midst of recording. We constantly heard sirens going off, went outside to piss-green skies, sideways rain and I thought to myself ‘maybe they’ll find these recordings someday after we were all carried off.’ One of the band members’ car was stolen during the recording process by homeless people who stole it just to impress their friends. The van got broken into- we had a stolen hard drive. But bad luck could not stop this record.”
James McAlister (Ester Drang, Sufjan Stevens) played the drums, percussion, programming, and added lively, innovative ideas like sampling Scott’s voice as the keyboard parts for the song “Again and Again.” On the song, Scott sings: “Where’s the piano? The big, big bass drum?” Well, in that song, the piano’s right there in his vocal chords—which were adamantly, angelically bared just as they are on Illuminare. “Most of these songs only had one take on vocals—80% of the record. Every record nowadays, it seems you can find some pretty blonde, put auto-tune on it and just go with it.” Scott modestly adds: “I’m not the best singer but at least when you see us live, what you see is what you get and I’m not lying to fans.” And it seems that’s what the general mood and stance of this record: reality, and a sense for the organic, raw, forgotten sentiments. In the song “Tests on My Heart, Windsor sings of ‘getting over the self,’ recording in the aforementioned refrigerator with cold vocal-shadows and a Vaudevillian piano interlude. Illuminare grapples with notions of solitude, life, death, and the plain old blues. Scott sings of realistic love, infatuation, satisfaction, disappointment, life-balance, the letting-go, appeasement, idealism, and grace—all with a backdrop of blustery fall-out tunes with strange swirls of sound, smatterings of echoes and pulsings, huge bass hammerings and bells to chime the gladness in being right there where one’s supposed to be. Weathering the storms, and taking on the shadows and memories of calmer times and warmer rooms.
The players: Chad Copelin (producer, keys, guitar, bass), Nathan Price (drums, percussion), Eric Arndt (bass), Scott Windsor (vocals, guitars, percussion) James McAlister (drums, percussion, programming), Ryan Lindsey (piano, background vocals)
Scott 09 Sep 2006
Taken from their Website:
www.umbrellasmusic.com
Angel or Demon
Umbrellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm not quite sure yet 'cause we just met
Your white dress contradicts your black hair
You probably dyed it, I don't really care
You said "Hello, do you have the time?"
Well, it's not mine to keep
It's not mine for me to keep
You smiled and you said "Let me buy you a drink"
Well, I just can't trust a girl that does the buying
I just can't trust a girl that does the buying
You gave up smoking a few months back
Well I quit last December, and I never looked back
Let's go somewhere fresh where I can see your face
You keep touching my arm, we're gonna crash at this place
I'm hooked on something you just said
You looked so lonely, or maybe it's just me
So the medicine went down smoothly
You went through my records
And you picked the one that I would have picked
Your eyes shined up as you sat on the floor
You tipped a glass and said "Come join me"
I'm hooked on something you just said
You looked so lonely, or maybe it's just me
I haven't yet decided
What my next move will be
The lyrics to Umbrellas' song "Angel or Demon" explore the uncertainty and excitement that can come with meeting someone new. The singer describes their encounter with a person they find both intriguing and mysterious, someone who could be either an angel or a demon. Despite their uncertainty, the singer is drawn to this person and begins to engage with them, sharing stories about quitting smoking and listening to music together. As the night progresses, the singer becomes more and more hooked on this person, but remains unsure of what their next move will be.
One way to interpret these lyrics is to see them as an exploration of the dualities that exist within each of us. The idea of someone being both an angel and a demon suggests that we all have the capacity for good and evil, and that these qualities are not always clear-cut or easily defined. The singer's attraction to this person despite their ambiguity points to the idea that sometimes we are drawn to the things that challenge or confuse us, rather than the things that feel safe or familiar.
Another way to interpret these lyrics is as a commentary on modern dating culture. The singer's hesitation about accepting a drink that this person offers to buy for them suggests a desire to maintain some sense of control or independence within the relationship. This is further reinforced by the line "I just can't trust a girl that does the buying," which implies a certain level of discomfort with traditional gender roles and expectations. At the same time, the connection that develops between the singer and this person suggests a desire for intimacy and connection, which can often be difficult to find in our fast-paced, swipe-right world.
Line by Line Meaning
You could be an angel or maybe a demon
I can't quite figure out whether you're a good person or a bad one.
I'm not quite sure yet 'cause we just met
I don't know enough about you to make a judgment just yet.
Your white dress contradicts your black hair
Your appearance is a bit confusing because your dress is innocent, but your hair color is dark and mysterious.
You probably dyed it, I don't really care
I assume you colored your hair, but it doesn't really matter to me.
You said "Hello, do you have the time?"
You asked for the time when you greeted me.
Well, it's not mine to keep
I don't actually own time, so I can't give it to you.
It's not mine for me to keep
Even if I did have the time, I wouldn't be able to keep it for myself.
You smiled and you said "Let me buy you a drink"
You offered to purchase a beverage for me.
Well, I just can't trust a girl that does the buying
I have a hard time trusting a woman who pays for things.
I just can't trust a girl that does the buying
I really don't trust women who offer to pay for things.
You gave up smoking a few months back
You stopped smoking a few months ago.
Well I quit last December, and I never looked back
I stopped smoking in December and I haven't gone back to it since.
Let's go somewhere fresh where I can see your face
Let's go to a new place where I can get a better look at your face.
You keep touching my arm, we're gonna crash at this place
You're distracting me by touching my arm and we might end up staying at this location longer than intended.
I'm hooked on something you just said
I'm really interested in what you just told me.
You looked so lonely, or maybe it's just me
You appeared to be really isolated, but it's possible that it's just my perception.
So the medicine went down smoothly
The drink I just had went down easily and without issues.
You went through my records
You browsed through my collection of music records.
And you picked the one that I would have picked
You chose a record that I would have also selected.
Your eyes shined up as you sat on the floor
Your eyes appeared to light up as you sat on the floor.
You tipped a glass and said "Come join me"
You invited me to join you in having another drink.
I haven't yet decided
I haven't made a decision yet.
What my next move will be
I'm not sure what I'm going to do next in this situation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SCOTT WINDSOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind