Jen Cloher is a highly respected recording and performing artist and co-founder of Milk! Records.
From the artwork of the album down to the songs themselves everything about this album is soaked in drama, What makes “Dead Wood Falls” so fantastic is its simplicity. It combines honesty and minimal folk styling’s to explode a wonderful collection of songs that showcase a very disciplined artist. Every song is carefully crafted and placed on this album to give a continuity that is vital to helping you the listener connect to all of the stories being expressed.
..it’s hard to believe this album was released back in 2006, but then again a classic album is by definition timeless. There’s a certain simplicity to this album – despite all the bluesy, country and rock touches, it is Jen Cloher’s sombre and poignant vocals that pierces the blackness that hold the listener enthralled…”
The albums seventh track “Rain” is a highlight and an example of the Jen Cloher magic. The song itself flirts with that storytelling tradition but the song doesn’t slip into the cliché’s that often come along with that creative template. There is still a healthy dose of fiction acting as the safe place for the real hurt of this piece of communication to be buried so that you get the perfect mix of personal pain and metaphors. Regardless of all this scientific dissection the fact remains that the song “Rain” has a powerful dialogue capable of cutting you deep and hitting you directly. When you hear those lyrics you know that Jen lived every inch of them and like all of the classic songwriters of our time it connects to your story and helps give light to both the confusion and conclusion needed to discover that brand new start.
Originally released April 1st, 2006
The Fat Angel Sings 