DEEP DARK WOODS: Jubilee
DEEP DARK WOODS
Jubilee
Black Hen 976
Advance press for Canadian roots-rockers The Deep Dark Woods’ fourth album played up the fact that they were working with producer Jonathan Wilson, noted for his ability to make modern California rock sound a lot like old California rock. Wilson captures some of that magic here as the band jumps from iconic sound to iconic sound: opener ‘Miles and Miles’ is the best Neil Young song not by Neil Young since ‘A Horse With No Name,’ and ‘Red Red Rose’ channels the Dead near-perfectly.
Most of the album is not quite so derivative, though sonic references to past folk-rock like The Byrds, Fairport Convention and the Band are clearly audible. Songwriting, mostly by lead vocalist Ryan Boldt, tends to build on folk balladry forms, even incorporating a come-all-ye intro to ‘I Took to Whoring.’ The folk classics are channeled melodically as well, with 18th of December’ channeling sounding like the offspring of Pretty Polly and Shady Grove. They show their pop chops too, with both ‘East St. Louis’ and ‘Bourbon Street’ sounding like lost 1968 psych-pop classics, complete with reverb-laden harmonies.
Despite the title, Jubilee is a somber record. The instrumental narrative is carried by Geoff Hilhorst’s outstanding organ and vintage keys work, but most of the songs are minor-key or modal and the subject matter fits the mood. Nevertheless the album benefits from a distinct atmosphere, which can be credited to the recording style: a few weeks in a cabin in the Canadian Rockies with most recording being done live to tape. The end result is intimate in a way that a lot of roots-rock today has lost to digital sheen, making it solid fare for nighttime driving or fireside listening this autumn.
— Dan Greenwood