Woods have a terrific new album out titles “WITH LIGHT AND LOVE” , There’s something in the consistency of Woods’ records that makes the band difficult to talk about. It’s hard because the draw of these songs—ramshackle acoustics, Jeremy Earl’s honeyed falsetto, tangled yet sunkissed hooks, and experimental edge—are easy to spot, but the overall, often fascinating effect of these elements is tougher to pin down. There’s something you can’t quite put your finger on, even if the feeling these dusty songs give is deeply textured.
With Light and With Love continues both the consistency and the progress forward. It is, first and foremost, the band’s most cleanly produced record to date, and the brittle edges of their sound melt sweetly as a result. It puts Earl’s voice higher up in the mix and it shows an impressive strength, even as it retains its ethereal quality. And the band sounds full here—organs, guitars, bass, drum, and vocals rising together and converging into a muscled sort of fragility. The sound of this record is capable of washing over you or splashing you in the face, and both are invigorating.
The Fat Angel Sings 