The group's name took it's form by two mountains called Win Hill and Lose Hill located in Hope Village, England where the band leader Jonas Svennem Lundberg took part in a folk music camp as a youngster.
The group's double album "Swing of Sorrow" is dedicated Lundberg's mother Karin, who died of cancer a few years earlier. Thus the songs were born from a grieving process and deals with the painful loss of a parent, about love and breakups, but also of reconciliation, hope and joy.
The two albums of vibrant, timelessly yearning and beautiful Americana styled folk-pop packed with lush string and horn arrangements are a lot to take in as a whole, but after a few listens the soulful emotion that carries the vast collection through takes over and highlights get clearer.
The lush string orchestra based intro dedicated to Lundberg's mother Karin's Hymn, leads straight to the big piece. Oh Lord instantly catches attention and can easily make a grown man weep. I Will Never Get Enough continues the album with that spine tingling fragility that the group is partly all about. The House Is Black as a contrast makes a nice feel good piece while the first album closes to the mellow serenity of Those Same Damned Days.
The second album starts off slowly with Winnhill/Losehill Part II picking up the pieces of the first album, but quickly makes it clear this time we're on clearer water, carrying on with the more feel-goody soulfulness that the first album only hints about. Don't Let the Inside Shine Out is packed with bittersweet head-bop that makes you smile and "aww" at the same time. I Leave You 'Cause I Don't Care continues with the recipe but adds a poisonously memorable, punchy chorus hook making it a clear second album highlight.
Hope Village is another highlight in it's serene feel good lushness and makes you think Lundberg must've been having the time of his life on the camp.
In all it's soulful emotiveness, "Swing of Sorrow" is still a very easy, approachable album to listen to. But being easy doesn't mean the lack of depth here, as the album is still a clear grower rewarding the persistent listener with something new to catch the attention on every listen.
Listen to "Swing of Sorrow" by Winhill/Losehill through Spotify and watch a graceful live performance of Oh Lord below. The album can also be found on the "Stereotype Helsinki // 2012 Q1 Albums + EPs + Singles" playlist.