You go to UMass Boston. You live in New England. You endure long, dark winters. You could live in California, but you don’t. There is a poignancy in New England winters that makes them somewhat enjoyable and almost addictive. When you reach the final days of March and you feel as though you’re at the bottom of a dark, lonely hole, you feel alive. And you need some music to keep you company. You exhausted Nick Drake in high school (plus his music was played during the last Superbowl pre-game show…WTF?); Burt Jansch is nice, but he reminds you too much of your Dad; you need something that is melodic, fresh, and filled with the breath of New England. You need The Points North.

In this era of over-sweet, under-flavored concoctions, the Points North offer a long overdue glass of fine whiskey. Their music goes straight to the heart with minimalist, folky tunes that are infused with New England sentiments. The loose choruses make you feel as though you’re just passing the time with your friends, while the rich lyrics conjure up images of life centuries past. Their instrumentation includes everything from the octave mandolin to silver flutes (they also have drums, so you can move your feet).

Although the Points North were founded a year ago, they have recently blossomed in popularity. They seem to be everywhere. The two guys (Chrsitopher Alspach and Dylan Clark) and one girl (Regina Perterson) that make up The Points North live in Jamaica Plain and Roslindale, but they play shows all over New England. Their shows are warm, friendly affairs, and leave the taste of hot apple cider in one’s mouth. Their most recent release was a split with The Woodrow Wilsons, available on Grinding Tapes Recording Company (http://www.grindingtapes.org).

The Points North are playing at T.T. the Bears on Thursday, Feb. 26th at 8:00pm.