On their latest record, City Sun Eater and the River of Light, WOODS is doing everything right.
At their most psych-poppy, they sound like a better version of more well known mainstream contemporaries like Tame Impala. In the midst of their most folk grooves they sound like a new take on the stylings of Simon & Garfunkel. This level of genre-wise experimentation is not surprising considering they have been through eight albums at this point, with City Sun Eater in the River of Light being their ninth. In their ability to fuse sounds like this, I am reminded of another contemporary of theirs, Dr. Dog.
At least now partially based out of Warwick, NY, WOODS was born to be a festival band. The lead singer’s falsetto voice mixes with jazzy baselines and folk-rock guitar phrases, all of it making you want to sway on a summer day. Let the breeze into your hair like it’s some big relief. This record, like many of the band’s, was released on the label Woodsist which has long been run by members of the band itself. East Coast WOODS fans should start saving for plane tickets. If you want the actual experience of seeing these musicians at a festival, you’ll have to catch them at Big Sur in July. I’m in the middle of emptying my bank account as we speak…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLCePMoGzgo