This place is a prison. Backed by Jimmy Tamborello’s fragmented, distorted programming, this song is a chance for Ben Gibbard to dissect the scene in which he (like so many of us) is trapped. Caught in an endless loop of drinking and falsified moments that only gain significance in the embellished retelling, Gibbard needs an escape. For young Alberta song writer Tyler Butler, his city and its inhospitable Winter climate, shackle him in much the same way. Sonically, the two acts couldn’t be more different – Butler barely raises his voice above a whisper and his fragile words are normally only backed by simple, slow acoustic notes – but the end result is the same. Crushed from the weight of confinement, both artists are forced to turn the lens back on themselves and search for answers (or at the very least to maintain sanity). Winter King, is dark and personal. Much like J Tillman’s solo work, Butler uses open spaces and exhalation to drive the mood. You can feel the chill blow through the LP, and Butler takes full advantage of the icy soundscapes to tell his stories. And while Winter King is a journey inward, Butler doesn’t make the experience exclusive. Even as he expresses incredibly personal subject matter fused with mythological references, he leaves breadcrumbs to help the listener follow along. Minimal tracks like “Waxwing” and “Barghest”, transport you to the cold floor of Butler’s apartment and make you huddle for warmth, but Butler tries to warm the affair with melodica (guessing there), backing vocals, a barely audible foot stomp beat or just enough of a tempo change to refresh the listen. This 2012 re-release includes some re-mastering of the first 4 songs (also called the ‘House Painter EP’ to those in the know) and includes a new recording of ‘Feral Horse’ along with the previously unheard title track, Winter King.