August AOTM: Bend Beyond by Woods

Album of the Month: Bend Beyond - Woods

The bitter-sweet and muggy remains of the dying summer are a perfect encapsulation for the music of Brooklyn, NY's Woods. Helmed by vocalist and guitarist Jeremy Earls, Woods have peddled a lurid, rough-and-tumble form of Indie Folk across their large discography since the mid 00's. Many moons ago, Woods was among the first real musical discoveries I made, leaving something of a lasting impression on my taste. Now many years later I've found myself returning to their music and appreciating the timeless simplicity of Earls' sickly-sweet falsetto and rough electric guitar tone.

I had a bit of a job narrowing down which album I wanted to review, but no other record truly represents Woods in all their forms like Bend Beyond. The record plays with the soft, weirdo-folk tunes from the band's early career as on At Rear House while experimenting with the psychedelic textures and dangerously relaxed tone of their later sound. And I think the title track does the best job at demonstrating these facets of Woods' sound with shimmering psychedelia mixing frictionlessly with a garage-rock guitar solo and light-hearted folk instrumentation.

Woods' quieter more low-key moments can lack a bit in heart and emotion due to Earls particularly sharp voice, but they really shine with the rough blend of garage guitar and more traditional folk instrumentation. "Find Them Empty" is a real standout in this way, with Earl's hectic guitar played overtop reverberant drums, jangling acoustic guitar, and an organ part that ties everything together. The grit and psychedelia emerge more and more throughout the album with heavier drum sounds and wilder guitar. "Size Meets the Sound" and "Something Surreal" are standouts near the end mixing melody with atmosphere in two very different ways.

Sometimes it's nice to remember that music is entertainment, pure and simple. Woods makes excellent use of strong melodies and haunting falsetto vocals to make psychedelic folk tunes that feel just right, and Bend Beyond may be their most consistent release and is certainly the best microcosm for the totality of their sound. Overall, it's tracks like "Bend Beyond" and "Size Meets the Sound" with their driven psych-folk guitar, instantly memorable hooks, and raw guitar solos that make Woods a worthwhile listen.