WHITE WILLOW – Storm Season (2024 Remaster)

Storm Season, the fourth full-length journey by renowned prog outfit White Willow, was recently remastered by the group’s very own Jakob Holm-Lupo, and the sparkling new edition will see the light of day in mid-December thanks to the good people at Karisma Records. Did I mention that it will be available on vinyl for the first time ever?

The title of the LP was always rather fitting in that it marked a different musical chapter in the White Willow chronicle, more specifically a heavier and slightly more bombastic version of their sound and atmosphere. Given that I am a sucker for their earlier explorations of what may be termed the bucolic and earthy-sounding, or folk-inspired and pastoral-like, Storm Season simply never felt like a truly remarkable listening experience to this scribe. It was still potent and tasteful stuff spawned by a superb band, but it lacked the yearning and emotional depth of its predecessors even though it arguably sounded a little more cohesive and focused than those. This 2024 remaster has undoubtedly brought its many hidden layers, subtle details, and dynamics to life, and when digesting it properly I feel that it carries a more prominent sonic punch while also striking a better balance between the quiet parts and the more forceful, hard-hitting ones.

Wide in scope and full of musical imagination while also showing a different side to White Willow, this 2024 remaster is a rather alluring output that warrants closer study without necessarily being outright essential unless you are a dedicated fan of the ensemble.