Image curtesy of diffuser.fm
Americana is a tough thing to pin down, you know it when you hear it but try really describing the nitty gritty of it to someone, it is next to impossible. Well, The Wood Brothers, currently out of Nashville, Tennessee encapsulate all the mystery and complexity that one can associate with Americana music. Today marks the release of their latest album, Paradise, and with it, another group of beautiful and gritty songs to add to their already remarkable catalogue.
The album opens with “Singin’ to Stangers” a Southern music story through and through seemingly mixing in the groups own motivations for taking up the lives of performers with the characters in the song. As an opening track, it sets a strong tone for the rest of the record, with a prominent groove in the bass line and strong electric guitar, Paradise kicks off with energy.
From there the album pushes through with a higher tempo than one would usually expect from the Brothers who’s last LP The Muse had some of their more low key and soothing music to date. “Never and Always,” only three tracks in, is the first show stopper on the record. The song jumps out immediately with an in your face bass line that may be the most recognizable aspect of the song. The groove laid down by John Wood’s upright bass paired with the groups harmonies and Oliver’s soulful lyrics makes it stand out from the very first verse, not to mention their performance of it at Americanafest was one of the most memorable of the festival.
Photo curtesy of americansongwriter.com
By track five the album slows down a bit with the duo, “Two Places” and “Heartbreak Lullaby.” The latter is reminiscent of one the groups most popular singles “Postcards From Hell.” With Oliver’s gentle vocals oscillating slowly up and down over his sweet sounding guitar melody and John’s melodica backing, “Heartbreak Lullaby” separates itself as the album’s most soothing song. “Two Places” is a sort of balladeer’s lament as it discusses the notion of, you guessed it, wanting to be in two places at the same time. Featuring a french horn and an almost militaristic drum line, the song has a mournful feel to it. But like in a lot of folk music, somber sounds yield beautiful results.
The mid album tempo drop does not last for long, “Without Desire” picks up the pace yet again and carries that groove almost through for the rest of the album. Like always, Oliver’s soulful voice brings with it some of the most authentically Southern music in the industry today. “Raindrop” is a vocal and horn driven hip-mover that mixes the Wood Brothers’ dynamic harmonies with a taste of New Orleans jazz. It brings a new feel to the record, something that one can’t really find anywhere else on Paradise let alone their entire catalog.
The album closes on a bluesy note with “River of Sin.” There is something so beautifully Southern about this song, it just has all the right elements. Oliver’s soul, that strong upright bass line, a little hammond b3 organ, and a choir singing back ups bringing some gospel into the mix, all coalesce into the perfect end to another phenomenal album. Overall, we see a lot of great changes to the Wood Brothers’ sound on this new record that I certainly did not see coming. Paradise joins The Muse as another big step for the group artistically.
The album only just came out today so there is not much on youtube from it. You can find Paradise on iTunes and the group’s website here, the album is a must have. Finally, here is the trio’s new single “Never and Always” for your listening pleasure.
-Ryan Schmitz
