November 12, 2006

Music You Should Hear: Woolly Leaves

Woolly Leaves is a side-project of Constantines keyboardist, Will Kidman. A quiet lo-fi bedroom recording done with skill and talent, and none of the trepidation you might expect from one who spends their time in a band led by a powerful writer and performer like Constantines singer, Bry Webb, and who often does his work in the shadows of the stage.

Kidman's voice carries a slight quaver similar to fellow Canadian, Neil Young. His voice and music are intimate and endearing, giving up touchstones such as double-tracked echoes of Elliott Smith, to the rustic glow of Toronto's Hayden. Kidman's album, Quiet Waters [Outside Music], nearly whispers quiet tunes whose merits should be shouted (I am shouting!! Can you hear me?!!).

A favourite song is "Soft Place to Call Home", a track that ends on a brief, yet lovely, coda wavering from the keys of an organ... a warmer, softer sound I couldn't imagine.

From Quiet Waters...
+ soft place to call home
+ people and the planets


BUY the music.

Quiet Waters [outside music] Track List
1. Everyone Else 2:40
2. San Louis Rey 3:07
3. People and the Planets 3:10
4. Big City 3:02
5. Walk With Light 2:59
6. Neverending Song 2:39
7. New Graffitti 4:00
8. Quiet Waters 2:21
9. Comin' Around 2:26
10. Soft Place To Call Home 2:32
11. Song for Mark 3:00

*Download Quiet Waters at eMusic. Check into eMusic's '25 FREE MP3 Downloads' offer right here.

BONUS:
Here are two tracks from Kidman's earlier Woolly Leaves release on Die Venom, Dew Dab.
+ scissors
+
ramore



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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:57:00 AM

    this is great! thanks! how do you find this stuff? that doesnt matter - just keep on doin it

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous9:59:00 AM

    very cool recommendation. hard to believe this talent has been going unnoticed while he's been playing with the much noisier, and great, constantines.

    thanks from a fan.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous10:03:00 PM

    I wasn't 100% convinced about this album. Then I saw him play an intimate little show at a gallery space in Kingston (The Artel) and I was very very very convinced. I think that his Constantines link is probably a weakness in some ways, as it gets people thinking of the rock thunder of the Cons when they should be thinking of it in terms of fragile folk-rock :)

    ReplyDelete