Our critical appraisal of the best albums of 2020 continues, as DJ Heretic breaks down the landmark that is Endless Space (Between You & I), released 24 July 2020.
The appearance of effortless ease is usually the result of months, even years of painstaking work. And Samira Winter works harder than you do.
With a first public release in the fall of 2012, the same year DKFM planted its flag, we’ve been following the songcraft since the first, her Daydreaming EP. While the arrangements were spare, the engaging songwriting was notable for a debut. You could imagine hearing Winter’s first breaking single, “Bedroom Philosophies”, playing on an old AM radio in another room, and being drawn in by its beguiling charms.
Fast forward to 2020, and …2020 has been canceled. Bands struggling without live shows, no tour promo prospects, and an economy challenging to even the most durable of artists. Endless Space (Between You & I) was originally slated for release mid-May, in anticipation of a significant tour to follow (including a stop at SXSW). While the album was ultimately pushed back to 24 July, early singles helped us to understand what Samira Winter and co-producer Ian Gibbs had been cooking up, building anticipation for the LP. Not only does Endless Space… serve to remind us what dream pop songcraft truly can be, the sparkling production may cause you to believe you can hear sparkle, pick up the sound of twinkling lights. And that’s no easy feat.
Samira is comfortable in her sonic skin, having carved and mined a space that is really hers alone. The new album isn’t a divergence from her signature, but the arrangements and production kick up the proceedings a notch or three. Having absorbed techniques from No Joy and Vinyl Williams, this additional layer helps the songs stretch even further than before. All the while, Samira Winter does what Winter does: write and perform engaging songs in the classic sense. Verse, chorus, lyrics. The bread and butter of any successful artist in any genre relies on their ability to write a complete song that can draw you into a different world. Add fresh arrangement and production techniques that stretch traditional boundaries, you end up with a landmark. This is that.
If there’s a knock against Endless Space (Between You & I), it’s the optimism, the hope for connection shot through the LP. Connection is anathema to our socially distant era, and optimism is in short supply. But that almost makes the album more relevant today. You can feel the longing, and the distance, and it seems that this near-spiritual connection is something that should have been available to us in 2020, but was snatched from our grasp. Endless Space… reminds us who we are, and who we can be again. That aspiration seems to match Samira Winter’s musical persona perfectly.
From the expansive and engaging title track, straight through to “Pure Magician”, each song stands in the space carved out for it. And the attention to detail in arrangement and production, that which makes this album a dream pop touchstone, shows that Winter and Gibbs sweated the small details. The apparent effortlessness is the result of hundreds of small choices, sharpening and focusing, and bringing renewed life and magic to already impeccable songs.
While so many of today’s artists are trying to manage (or destroy) their social media profiles, or figure out the optimal arrangement of pedals on their boards, Winter has been lapping the field. Sharpening her skills in song-a-day challenges, international touring, constantly refining her sound… Samira Winter works harder than you. I said it, not sorry, I don’t make the rules. Gauntlet is thrown, marker is placed for this decade’s new and breaking artists.
Follow Winter on Bandcamp, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. And maybe buy the damn album. It’s that good. I’m DJ Heretic, and I approved this message.
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