Woods
Sun and Shade
Brooklyn, NY
“Transcendental pop-folk”
The most striking thing about Sun and Shade is its ability to provoke and produce this transcendental pop folk aura that drips from the frolicking guitars, bangs out of the gentle, sparse percussion, and oozes out of lead singer Jeremy Earl’s mouth like raw honey.
The most epic, memorable and talked about tracks are “Out Of The Eye” and “Sol Y Sombra.” These two instrumental numbers provide a dreamy trance, but also heavy insight and lo-fi influences that pay subtle homage to Eastern music, gypsy guitar-picking and freak-folk maestro Devendra Banhart. Although separated, these two songs act like the opening and conclusion of a legendary folk tale. If you found yourself lost in a forest, “Out Of The Eye” would be the psychedelic inaugural theme. “Sol Y Sombra” is when you rise above all the trees into the sky and finally envision what direction you must take.
The only drawback of these tracks is their propensity for drowning out the rest of the album, which features the weirdly catchy tune “Who Do I Think I Am?” about going mental. “What Faces The Sheet” is probably one of the finest pop examples, as it sounds like an act that was originally aired on Ed Sullivan. Apart from the meditative, Middle Eastern-fused tracks, this Woods’ album is neatly cut and decorated with whimsical pop melodies and witty lyrics that would leave Elephant 6 collective members applauding. (Woodsist Records)
Recorded at Buttermilk Falls, Warwick, NY // Additional Mixing and Recording at Rear House in Brooklyn, NY