I had actually intended to complete my review of Winter Equinox’s debut Safe and Sound several months ago when the disc first arrived. With its Dan McCarthy reminiscent tree drawing on the cover laden with a variety of snowflakes and a rather pleasing font selection, the album immediately appealed to my eyes and the music of this mostly instrumental quartet also appealed to my ears. Procrastination however made its usual appearance, but I don’t believe I could have found a better time to write this review than as I sit here on a plane back to Seattle looking out over a sea of clouds.

Utilizing an assortment of instruments including flute, violin, and clarinet along with the usual suspects (bass, guitar, keyboard, and drums), Winter Equinox create remarkable, layered soundscapes that manage to keep an open , airy feel that welcomes contemplation or simply enjoyment. The band’s classical training is clearly evident throughout Safe and Sound’s intricate melodies and skilled performance; to hear all the elements come together one-minute into "Queue" is almost like viewing the precision of a manufacturing facility on one of those factory tour television programs.

On the occasions where vocals do make an appearance ("Seeing Stars", "Skies Over Smokestacks"), they blend smoothly with the instrumental orchestration almost as a haunting echo. With an average track length of nearly six and a half minutes, Winter Equinox give themselves plenty of time to fully explore all aspects of a composition and they truly take advantage of this, creating dramatic ebbs and flows throughout Safe and Sound that kept me enthralled throughout my listening experience.