The limitations of the 7" single medium dictates that songs need to be brief and to-the-point. While this seems like a confining space to work in for a group who has a reputation for lengthy drones, Windy & Carl have actually been doing this for years. 'Introspection' is the first career-spanning evolutionary tour guide of the Dearborn duo, chronologically arranged in triplicate.
Meticulously divided, disc one collects various singles and EPs, disc two collects compilation tracks, and disc three gathers live and unreleased songs. Windy & Carl's music has always been one of my personal faves for curling up with something good to read and this time they've provided something extra to read along with. The accompanying booklet contains descriptions of nearly every song along with images of covers, concert flyers, and various candid photos. To hear the evolution wrapped up in three +70 minute segments is fascinating. Windy's voice is a dead ringer (no pun intended) for Nico on some of the earliest tracks, like "Watersong," while Carl's guitar work and production seems plain when compared to songs only a couple years later like "Smeared." By 1995/1996, (the Chrismtas single) the duo show a clear turning point, Windy's voice finding its space and the addition of delicately layered other sounds. Whether they're bell-like percussives, low-end bass, acoustic or electric guitars, the sound never strayed from the delicate, almost pure beauty that has always been there. Unsurprisingly, longer songs flourish on the second two discs, including some of their finest moments like the indescribably stunning "Marble Dream," the love song, "Fuzzy," and "Near and Far," from their split single with Amp. Live moments are carefully chosen from both concert venues and radio sessions while some studio recordings offer a glimpse of how songs evolve—like the alternate version of the song for the 'After the Flood' album and the cassette version of "Xmas Song." Three discs worth of music doesn't compile all of their non-LP material, but it sure is enough to digest for now.
 
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