[rating=7.00]
Woods have never been an easy band to put a handle on, a situation which can clearly thwart anyone looking for ready descriptions and easy to tag comparisons. Slow gaze outfits like Luna, Damon & Naomi and perhaps even early Pink Floyd come closest, but in truth, nothing they’ve done in the course of their eight — EIGHT — previous albums has brought enough ready recognition to engage them with the mainstream.
Which is fine, of course. The more imaginative bands of this day and age are at their best — and most daunting — when they maintain a certain aura of aloofness. In this case, Woods owes that stance to a blend of disparate styles that find a lilting falsetto — provided by chief provocateur, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Earl — soar over a series of intoxicating rhythms, generally of a third world variety. Psychedelia plays a major function in the mix, but the allure is always apparent in the scintillating melodies and the songs’ easy sway. Horns, percussion and communal vocals are the major elements in each of these offerings, making for a kind of tribal confluence clearly capable of holding their audiences in sway. Whether it’s the percolating percussion of “Sun City Creeps,” the phosphorescent appeal of the luminous “Morning Light” or the reggae-infused “Can’t See At All” and “The Take,” City Sun Eater In The River Of Light becomes a celebratory experience. Sprawling, sensual and full of lively intrigue, it’s album that defies the listener to sit still and not join in this aural exhilaration.
Ultimately, City Sun Eater In The River Of Light is also an album that offers the potential of populist appeal, especially if presented on this summer’s busy festival circuit. Indeed, Woods have made a record that they can tout with confidence and clarity, and given the proper exposure, it may just heighten their everyman appeal.
2 Responses
City Sun Eater In The River Of Light is a great album! I love it. Thanks for the contribution of the article