a r t i s t : Hush Arbors
t i t l e : Under bent limb trees
d a t e : 2007
l a b e l : Digitalis
c a t : digi037
s o u r c e : CDDA
g e n r e : Folk
r l s. d a t e : Jan/2008
t r a c k s : 14
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 101,7 MB
_______________________________________________________________________
Keith Wood and his Hush Arbors project had a good year in
2006. After multiple solo tours and stints with Wooden Wand &
the Vanishing Voice, his first CD and LP were released earlier
in the year. He ended the year relocating to England and
plying his trade across the pond. With all this in mind, it
was decided that a re-release of his first full-length for
Digitalis was in order, and thus this expanded version of
"Under Bent Limb Trees" was born.
Keith Wood concocts massive emotional releases in his head and
transfers them to tape using the most organic means possible.
Bowed dulcimer, singing bowl, banjo, and a his trademark
falsetto dot the horizon of this majestic album. This graceful
and subdued music has been extracted from the earth and laden
with golden spirits.
This two CD set, housed in gatefold cardboard jackets, is the
perfect embodiment of Wood's delicate take on shy melancholia
that has one foot in the forest and one on a log fire, burning
with passion. His experience as the go-to guy of not only Ben
Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance) but Massachussets
God-botherers Sunburned Hand of the Man for live appearances
has clearly set him in good stead for his own recordings, and
this collection only serves to magnify his deft talent and
unique voice.
Disc one features the whole of "Under Bent Limb Trees," newly
remastered and sounding better than ever. The real prize is in
the second disc, which features out-of-print, rare, and
unreleased tracks culled from Wood's own collection and
various limited and obscure releases.
Praise for Hush Arbors:
"Just as comfortable wringing deadly screaming leads from his
guitar as he is coaxing gentle modern day country hymns to
Catatonia from it, Wood is, first and foremost, a songwriter
in the traditional sense. his songs will feel right at home
during nights of quiet debauchery, as well as during those
shame-filled mo(u)rnings after.'' - James Toth, Wooden Wand &
the Vanishing Voice
Hush Arbors' new release "Under Bent Limb Trees" explores the
many facets of nature the warmth of a hazy sunny summer day,
the angry tumult of a storm, and the enclosing menace of kudzu
cover. Woods Nature is not only worthy of our admiration but
also our respect and awe. It is a beguiling mixture of
delicate seductive sun-washed days and grim, steely,
claustrophobic blackness." - Steve Rybicki, Fakejazz
"Like his friend and sometime collaborator Ben Chasny-- who
last year also contributed liner notes to Hush Arbors'
self-titled album-- Keith Wood here shows the ability to take
the barest ingredients of folk and psych-rock traditions and
transmute them into his own unique form of sorcery." - Matthew
Murphy, Pitchfork
_______________________________________________________________________
cd1
01-spirits over mt. blanca [02:04]
02-the forest we've been [04:33]
03-wooded reel [03:16]
04-where the black bear hides in the sky [02:59]
05-may all your pastures now spring with herbs [04:03]
06-gypsy wood [03:05]
07-song for morning to sing [06:12]
08-dark mist curtains the doorway [03:53]
09-kudzu covered maples [12:08]
cd2
01-under the death tree [07:11]
02-the valley [04:23]
03-brittle village [13:12]
04-clothed with sun [03:43]
05-if there be spirits, let them come [21:00]
-------
91:42 min