Liverpool band, The Wood, are back with a flurry of activity this summer, starting with the release of new single, Strangers, set for release this Friday.
This will be followed by their second single, Blind Stag, on September 4 and new album, 100 Seconds to Midnight, on October 2.
This is great new for fans of quality modern soul and is further proof that Liverpool’s track record of providing us with excellent bands continues unabated.
Those who are wondering what the fuss is all about would be advised to check out The Wood’s debut album, Days, here.
Strangers is built on a lush string section and again showcases the outstanding vocals of Alex Evans, who fellow The Wood member Steve Powell, owner of Ark Recording Studios and producer of albums by the likes of Michael Head, The Stairs and John Power described as “The best singer I’d ever worked with”.
Layers of guitar, whether a delicately picked electric or a gently strummed acoustic, add depth and texture to the song and the overall effect is of a sumptuous ballad that swirls and rushes around your head.
The Wood - StrangersWith all this instrumentation, it takes a special singer to stay on top of it all and not get lost in the song’s richness. Fortunately, Powell is exactly that, special. His is a luxuriant and expansive voice that seems to come out of him with little effort, a natural talent and one of the lucky few who have found the thing they excel at.
13 Questions with Paul Simpson
Strangers is only a tease, a single track, from the next phase of The Wood, but it tells us that the new batch of songs are a progression from their last album, which is quite a claim in itself. If we can take Strangers as an indication of what to expect next, the signs are very good indeed and we can allow ourselves to feel excited about album number two.
Stay tuned for further news as it happens!