Umbrellas is an indie rock band fronted by Scott Windsor, of Lyndsay Diarie… Read Full Bio ↴Umbrellas is an indie rock band fronted by Scott Windsor, of Lyndsay Diaries fame. The band signed to The Militia Group in 2005, following Windsor's departure from his solo work. Umbrellas currently has two records out, a self-titled release in 2005, and "Illuminare," released in 2006.

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

Boston White
Umbrellas Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dismantled notes just might strike me tonight.
You're right, I just might explode in this silver moonlight.
You're at the piano, your hands are on the key,
Lifting and resting you make such beautiful sound.
I lift the hair from your neck then, the trees flay in the wind
And we dance beneath them.

So what about the defying afternoon when,

When it's black and white and shadow filled rooms.
I'm praying for a thunderstorm, something to keep me inside.

Notes bounce around in my light head.
I'm floating high above your house, your tears have flooded it out.
If only you could see the angel that I see,
All dressed in white, the white dress like we use to light in disturbed.

So what about the defying afternoon when,
When it's black and white and shadow filled rooms.
I'm praying for a thunderstorm, something to keep me inside.
We stay in harms way like a monster from my dreams.
Cause I know it's the kind that does the breaking.

The sea is white and immerse,
The sweet notes take me away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Boston White" by Umbrellas paint a picture of a scene that is both beautiful and fragile. The first stanza describes a moment when the singer feels vulnerable, as if "dismantled notes" might strike them at any moment. Despite this, they are overcome by the beauty of the moment, with moonlight casting a silver glow on everything. The singer watches someone they care about playing the piano, and is moved by the beauty of the music. They reach out to touch the person's neck, and the wind picks up, making the trees around them sway. The two of them dance together beneath the trees, lost in the moment.

The second stanza contrasts with the first, as the singer remembers a time when things were much darker. They describe a "defying afternoon" when everything was "black and white" and "shadow-filled rooms" seemed to close in around them. In this moment, the singer longs for a thunderstorm that would force them to stay inside where it's safe. The third stanza shifts again, as the singer describes a moment of transcendence. They feel as if they are floating high in the air, looking down on the person they care about. They see them as an angel, dressed in white, and the image is so vivid that it reminds them of something they used to do together. The song ends with a mention of the sea and the sweet notes of the music carrying the singer away to some other place.

Overall, the lyrics to "Boston White" seem to explore the tension between beautiful moments and fragile ones. The beauty of the music and the piano-playing in particular serves as a contrast to the darker moments. The image of the angel dressed in white is both haunting and beautiful, and it's clear that the singer is deeply affected by the emotions of the moment.

Line by Line Meaning

Dismantled notes just might strike me tonight.
I am feeling vulnerable and may be emotionally impacted by the music.

You're right, I just might explode in this silver moonlight.
You are correct, my emotions are building and may overwhelm me in this romantic setting.

You're at the piano, your hands are on the key, Lifting and resting you make such beautiful sound.
You are playing the piano, your skill and artistry are creating beautiful music.

I lift the hair from your neck then, the trees flay in the wind And we dance beneath them.
As I caress you, the trees sway in the wind and we dance together in the moonlight.

So what about the defying afternoon when, When it's black and white and shadow filled rooms. I'm praying for a thunderstorm, something to keep me inside.
What will we do on the bleak and dark afternoons? I long for a storm to keep us indoors and close together.

Notes bounce around in my light head. I'm floating high above your house, your tears have flooded it out.
The music takes hold of my mind and lifts me up, but as I look down, I see your tears have flooded your home with sadness.

If only you could see the angel that I see, All dressed in white, the white dress like we use to light in disturbed.
If only you could see yourself as I do, a beautiful angel in white, reminiscent of our past memories.

We stay in harms way like a monster from my dreams. Cause I know it's the kind that does the breaking.
We willingly risk ourselves by staying together, even though it may result in harm or heartbreak.

The sea is white and immerse, The sweet notes take me away
As I hear the music and gaze out to the sea, I am transported to another place, lost in the ethereal melody.

Contributed by Brayden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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