Photo Credit: Kayley Luftig
Toronto – Ask most Torontonians about Winter Gloves and they’ll probably say that they prefer mittens. Okay, okay bad joke. Winter Gloves is a relatively unknown Montreal-based synth-pop band that has started to garner attention from appearing at SXSW, Virgin Festivals and Osheaga.
I first heard about Winter Gloves during Canadian Music Week when they were scheduled alongside the Russian Futurists, The Acorn and Plants and Animals at Lees Palace. Stellar lineup but, alas, because of said lineup I did not get into the show.
Arriving about an hour before Winter Gloves were set to begin, I managed to catch a bit of the opening band, Whale Tooth (Canadian band names are second to none). I was quite blown away. Whale Tooth sounds like a hybrid of No Doubt and She and Him. The lead singer, Elise, has an amazing voice and is also a jazz musician who sings regularly at lounges around Toronto. I will definitely be seeing this band again and am going to try and catch Elise at her next jazz show (November 25, Black Moon Lounge).
Winter Gloves came out at around midnight bursting with energy. Before the show I hadn’t heard much of their latest release, All Red. After hearing a few songs it’s clear that this album is a lot more polished and mature than their freshman effort, About a Girl. The songs aren’t as manic and dance-y but rather more structured, accompanied by great backing instrumentals. I like the sound of their new album and can see that there is a noticeable improvement between About a Girl and All Red.
It’s worth a mention that this band has some rabid Toronto fans. Maybe it’s because the Horseshow is so intimate, maybe it’s because I was right at the front and maybe it’s because the (hot) lead singer hopped into the crowd a few times, but the energy in there was amazing.Winter Gloves played a solid set and covered quite an array of songs from both of their albums. For the encore they brought Elise back on stage to sing Madonna’s True Blue, which was excellent and got the crowd even more pumped up at the end!
Though I enjoyed Winter Gloves live I was more taken by Whale Tooth. I will definitely keep an eye out for the next Toronto show and be sure to catch Elise LeGrow at her November 25th jazz show.
Sleepwalking by Whale Tooth
Winter Gloves- Plastic Slides by latitude32
