Album: Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun
Label: Blackbox Records
Released: 28 February 2012
Country: Toronto
The Wooden Sky started work on the album Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun in a cottage on the Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada.
Aside from laying down tracks at Hotel 2 Tango (the same studio Arcade Fire’s Funeral was tracked) the album was also recorded in Ontario and rural Quebec in apartments, lofts, churches and a farm.
Their music has been described as melodic pastoral folk rock fused with elements of alternate country. As you’d expect from a folk band, their lyrics are extremely poetic but for me, it’s not enough to keep the listener engaged through arrangements that for my tastes, are a little predictable and bland.
I’m Your Man surprises us with a rather haunting opening that is interesting and captivating and the hint of an electric guitar soloing at the end also provides us with some interest.
The track Angela did speak to me with its raw emotional quality, but the progression of chords are still far-too predictable for my liking. On a positive, it is very melodically catchy and the chorus did remain lodged in my mind for days.
Although not particularly adventurous in their use of harmony, rhythm, structure or instrumentation, The Wooden Sky’s redeeming quality is their ability to craft out well-constructed melodies. However, I must admit that on a second listening, the melodic shape of many of the songs do start to sound reminiscent of previous tracks.
For most of the album, there is a definite country swagger but occasionally, there are hints to other genres, in tracks such as Malibu Rum and Take Me Out.
They’ve certainly written a mature, well-thought-through album that has some interesting qualities and intelligent and poetic lyrics, but for my tastes, it’s not really an album I’ll be listening to on repeat, except if maybe I have bottle in hand and an accompanying swagger in my walk.
I give them 2 out of 5 kisses.
Written by Amy Bastow for the Kiss My Arts Show on Joy 94.9 – All opinions are mine. Copyright 2012.