Liverpudlian band The Wood are an interesting prospect. Their music, on the surface, is sophisticated pop-rock, but dig a little deeper, and their debut album ‘Days’ will serve up other interesting styles, all pulled together to create an enthralling listen.
By opening with a blast of brass that almost conveys a mariachi tone, the album’s opening track ‘Let It Loose’ gives no real clue where it’s headed. Even when the main rhythm rises, the steady beats don’t appear to favour any particular genre. It’s only once the guitar and vocal fills the rest of the space that the listener gets a real feel for the sound of this still brand new band. Overall, this is a superb slab of pop-rock, augmented with a solid funk backdrop, sounding familiar, yet never entirely like anyone else. There’s a pinch of Kravitz here, a little nod or two to the harder edged stuff from the Brand New Heavies debut there, and even the kind of groove The Charlatans found in their later career. The Wood blends all of these brilliant traits into a swaggering number overlaid with semi-bluesy vocals, creating a sizeable sound that bodes very well for the near future. Even as the last notes fade, this number continues to tease with brilliant musical flourishes when the brass leans on something a little jazzier. It’s an absolutely fantastic track, and rightfully given the pride of place at the beginning of the album, it pulls the listener into The Wood’s world with great style.
In a change of mood, ‘The River’ kicks off with a slow burning intro, where an aching, bluesy vocal is joined by sparse guitar work, setting up a very retro sound. Once the rhythm section arrives, The Wood venture forth into a slow and soulful groove which evokes elements of 70s and 90s blues, melodic rock and soul. Although their sound isn’t especially original, the track is tonally perfect, sharing a huge lead vocal throughout, backed with gospel-tinged harmonies and, latterly, a burst of orchestration which makes The Wood’s big sound even bigger. Everything here is great, but a rather understated guitar solo – first presenting a few dirty, blues oriented notes, then sliding effortlessly into a world of flowing, clean tones more attuned to a ballad – steals the show. It shows how The Wood’s music, often relying on a huge sound, can also benefit from a genuine subtlety. By the time the chorus returns, this number already feels like something you’ve always known: a musical friend with a timeless heart and a hugely confident air. It’s a minor point, but when you’ve shared something this epic, it probably deserved an equally big finish, but instead, it fades (rather abruptly, too), which almost spoils a potentially great moment.
Even more interesting, ‘Autumn Dreams’ works an indie-ish jangle, coupled with a huge vocal croon that sounds like Thom Yorke – albeit in a lower key. With the aid of a choir of backing vocals and a baggy inspired drum part, it sounds like the marriage of two very different musical ideas, but thanks to Steve’s broad talents and a world of confidence, it actually works. Given a little time to settle in, the melody also gives a great base for an understated instrumental break, as well as featuring a muted trumpet that sounds as if it were lifted from one of The Delines’ hazy country tunes. Something of a slow burner, this track comes with a vocal performance that’s so heavily stylised, it sometimes sounds as if the lyric isn’t in English, but after a few plays, the melody starts to take effect with the number’s warmth and invention becoming a strong indicator of The Wood’s desire not to take a predictable route or be musically pigeonholed. The opening section of ‘Thornside Walk’ brings an air of Paul Buchanan to the table, with its mellow vibe and piano oriented melody, but its just a ruse, since the bulk of the number works a brilliant “brown” sounding brand of rock pop, calling back to bands like The Connells. Any blandness such a retro sound might bring is offset by a brilliant vocal, however, and Alex spends the bulk of the number in full roar. Never in an aggressive way, but he finding a huge voice that mixes the huge presence of Hozier with something a little gruffer, which suits The Wood very well. For a middle eight, the piano returns, and Alex reaches for a few higher notes, ensuring that this has something that links back to ‘Autumn Dreams’, despite being very different. For first time listeners, this – along with the album’s earlier single release ‘Let It Loose’ – will provide the perfect introduction when played in tandem.
Showing yet another side to The Wood, ‘Back To The Start’ unleashes some big funk, driven by a hard struck bass, a loud snare drum and heavily wah-ed guitar part. There are flashbacks to the funk rock boom of 1991, but at the same time Alex and Steve bring their own slant to a great sound with the aid of some strong harmony vocals and an array of brass that sounds more as if it were designed with reggae and calypso in mind. The scattergun vocal adds a slightly dated feel in places, but never enough to spoil a great track. The Wood convey a great energy throughout, and by the time Steve offsets a solid melody with an angry solo full of fuzzy sounds and distortion, there’s a feeling these musicians could take on any style and come up winning. ‘Temptation’, meanwhile, takes the funkier rhythms and applies them to something more in keeping with an acid jazz groove – all snare drums and smart bass work. Against the slightly forlorn musical backdrop, Alex unveils a mellow cry that really shows off The Wood’s soulful side. Much like ‘Autumn Dreams’, it’ll take a while to embed itself, but there’s a confident and mature approach that more than suggests these musicians are really onto something. Part rock, part soul, with a bluesy undertone and an occasional Radiohead-ish vocal that eventually soars, this is a melting pot of styles, but it’s never messy. Nor does it sound like the work of a band trying too hard. In terms of slightly arty pop-rock, it’s very smart.
Stripping everything down to voice and acoustic guitar, the musical core of ‘Stay With Me’ evokes a classic 70s influence, but a slightly warbly voice lends the arrangement something unexpected. There are moments where the melody veers towards a soul pop sound, reminiscent of a Blessid Union of Souls ballad, and as you might expect by this point, this gives Alex Evans an effective platform. Bringing it further in line with other material from The Wood, multi-instrumentalist Steve Powell lays down some great dobro, for a great, rootsy feel. It’s an understated tune, no question, but it really gets to the heart of the duo’s sound and songwriting. Also celebrating an acoustic heart, the title cut blends folk inspired guitar work (littered with great harmonics) with a ghostly vocal harmony to share something with a rather unfashionable psych-folk quality. Then, just as you have the measure of the melody in hand, it stops dead at just under a minute. It’s used as a strange coda to the album, which works to a point, but comes with a feeling that it might have made a stronger intro. There’s a superb musical idea here that remains unexplored…
Misgivings about a couple of track endings aside, this is superb. The music is rather grand without ever feeling self indulgent, and Alex’s vocals often bring a massively rich quality to the material in hand. Between them, Alex and Steve sound like true professionals; musicians capable of turning their talents to anything with ease, and with ‘Days’, The Wood open their catalogue with a potential classic. For fans of pop and soul with rather pleasing blues and melodic rock undertones, this is a record that’s not to be missed.
October/November 2024