Linwood is an indie rock band from right here in Columbus. The band is made up of David Rourke and Patrick Sprague. The two have been playing together for over ten years and have just released their first album as Linwood. The album, released on April 15th, is called Closer To Clear.
The first track on the album is called “Poison.” It’s a somber reflective piece. “Hidden Things,” follows with much more attitude. The track is a little bit repetitive, but it’s also fun and pretty catchy. There’s a lot of emotion in Sprague’s vocals. “Pixels” is the third track, with clever lyrics and a catchy tune. “Sleep” starts with a driving beat and doesn’t stop. It is, in my opinion one of the highlights of the album. “Breath of Rain” rocks a little more aggressively than the other tracks, with some more intricate back and forth between the instruments and vocals. It has a lot more going on than most of the other tracks.
The duo drops the tempo and volume significantly for track 7, titled “Heartbeat.” “I know I’m still breathing, but my hearts not beating anymore,” sings Sprague in chorus. The song gains momentum as it continues. The title track is next. It’s followed by a track called “OK,” and is my favorite track on the album. “Your New Name” is another highlight track. The final track, “Austin Road,” is a strong ending to the album.
Linwood is a Christian band, but their songs cover topics appealing to even those who are not religious. They have a lot of potential as a band and Closer To Clear is a solid debut. The album is 13 tracks long and almost all of the track clock in around five minutes, making it a really long album. It’s clear the band put a lot of work and heart into their album and you should certainly give them a chance.
You can hear some of their music on their bandcamp page or buy the album. Linwood is still trying to break 100 likes on Facebook, so if you like their sound, help them out with that here. You can also follow them on twitter.