"Early Winter" Is An 1980s Inspired Pop Rock Ballad Written By Tim Rice-Oxley Pianist For British Band Keane For Gwen Stefani's Second Album The Sweet Escape 2006 . The Song Received Positive Reviews From Music Critics And Its Opening Riffs Were Used In A Hewlett-Packard Commercial Featuring Stefani. It Was Released As The Album's Fifth And Final Single In Several European Countries.