Winter is such a great song with string elements that remind me of Matt Pond PA, although without the thick coat of pathos.  Winter in Chicago is so unique in its severity and is irrevocably tied to a thin layer of salt that covers the city like pollen during the Atlanta spring.  It's a sign that someone has just come in from the cold and snow and I've always thought of shedding my salt-covered garments as sort of signifying my escape from the otherwise brutal weather.  Sure, this past winter wasn't bad, but now we're just where it wants us.