-->
Woods is an American folk rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2005. The band consists of Jeremy Earl (vocals, guitar), Jarvis Taveniere (various instruments, production), Aaron Neveu (drums), Chuck Van Dyck (bass), and Kyle Forester (keyboards, sax). The band's former bassist, Kevin Morby, left the band in 2013.
Woods have released 12 albums, the latest being Perennial. Pitchfork Media reviewed one of their previous albums, Songs of Shame Read more on Last.fm
To my mind Woods have been getting better with each successive release, which makes this their best yet. Yeah, they’re not fucking with the formula, but at least they’re refining it. The Byrds and Grateful Dead comparisons have always been apt but never moreso than they are here as a slightly cleaner production brings all of the classic rock influences to the forefront. This isn’t to suggest they’ve lost their fondness for noise, though – “From the Horn” is just as strange as Songs of Shame’s “September With Pete” even if it is a lot easier to swallow, the end of “Mornin’ Time” ranks among their most dissonant work, “Pick Up” has plenty of bizarre sounds hanging around the back of the mix and “Deep” features maybe the album’s oddest production technique with a truly jarring percussion sound.
Of course, none of this would make a great album if there weren’t also great songs, but “At Echo Lake” has them in spades. The A-side in particular is probably the best stretch of any Woods record in terms of consistent songwriting, and if the B-side seems a tad more slight it’s only in comparison – “Death Rattles” and “Get Back” would’ve both been standouts on previous Woods releases. A more fully formed and consistent outing than any previous Woods record.