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Woods: Sun & Shade

Woodsist

Few acts in the blog rock era can successfully deliver the kind of transcendental experience that Woods conjures up in concert. And on its mesmerizing sixth LP, the band finally transposes the mind-altering magic of its live shows into studio gold with a newfound sense of clarity and cohesion. The Upstate New York hippie vibe of the band’s earlier efforts is still prevalent throughout Sun & Shade, its first full-length recorded at the Woodsist headquarters in beautiful Warwick, N.Y., particularly on tracks like “Be All Be Easy” and “Who Do I Think I Am.” However, it’s when the group goes into instrumental interstellar overdrive on such Garcia-gone-Komische space jams as “Out of the Eye” and “Sol Y Sombra” that this 12-song cycle truly flies highest. It is that perfect balance of disparate tones at play here—the sun and shade as it were—which makes this the best Woods album yet.