Winter Family, a duo consisting of Ruth Rosenthal (from Jerusalem) and Xavier Klaine (from Paris), who now live in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, make some of the dreariest and least interesting music you are likely to hear in a very long time. The press materials accompanying the duo's second album indicate that they have recorded salsa albums, but that may be a joke -- it's impossible to imagine the same people who came up with this self-consciously leaden and portentous music creating anything intended for dancing. The same press materials warn that the music on this album "might depress you seriously," and that warning is worth taking to heart -- but it's not because the music evokes deep and serious thought on challenging topics or exposes new and unpleasant truths to the listener. It's because the muttered, poorly written lyrics and simplistic musical accompaniment just feel like a waste of time and energy. ~ Rick Anderson