ARTIST: Woodbine
TITLE: Best Before End
LABEL: Domino / Universal
GENRE: Indie
BITRATE: 153kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 38min total
RELEASE DATE: 11 Apr 2005
RIP DATE: 24 Mar 2005
Track List
----------
01. Cope 4:01
02. Morning Starts Cold 2:52
03. I Feel Fine 2:51
04. Tea Time Assortment 3:26
05. The Woods 4:07
06. Monkeys 3:01
07. Cop On 1:43
08. Me Me Me 5:02
09. Drink Drive 4:07
10. Ban Everything 3:19
11. Unbelievable 3:32
Release Notes:
debut and they seem to have remained on Domino all that time,
releasing not much more than a few 7"s. Says something drastically
impressive about that label. Anyhoo, second Woodbine album 'Best
Before End' now wriggles into the world and begins to enthral
from about halfway through, after a nondescript start.
In theory we're deep in melancholy territory. Piano, acoustic
picking and ultra-soft drumming (no cymbals) from a hesitant,
low key trio. Yet Susan Dillane and Graeme Swindon's male/female
vocals are more acerbic than pathos-drenched, which gives the
album a slightly cold feeling. Similarly, with the music,
everything is dry and intimate to the point of claustrophia,
in a Smog or Howe Gelb vein. If there was more echo, this
could be a classic Low-esque slowcore beast. But no. It's as
if they're conspiring to undermine their chosen genre. Maybe
it's producer Mark Coyle's fault, because he's best known for
drug-addled rock spasms such as Happy Mondays, Shack and (um)
early Oasis. Though 'fault' is too harsh a word: there's a ton
of beautiful construction here and some intriguing tunes. But
quirksome lyrics (a mean song about biscuits called 'Tea Time
Assortment') and the chilly delivery aren't quite hitting the
spot.
So, some good bits. 'The Woods' is a great crazy tune, with
an odd jerky repeat on the word 'cos' and vast over-repetition
of the phrase 'I was so impressed I bought the company'. And
from then on, it looks up. 'Monkeys' augments a wooden guitar
with a bendy saw noise worthy of Ira Kaplan and then 'Cop On'
is Woodbine at their smoggiest, with a taut minimal backbeat
and wah'd guitar. Enough. All I needed to say was: they're a
bit drier and sillier than they realise and 'Best Before End'
is cool from halfway.