For more than 20 years, Chris and Oliver Wood have been trying to flexibly interpret the American genre, which is not very ready to change. The brothers also play in jazz groups, generally find stylistic limits superfluous. Bringing this basic attitude together with American traditions – that is the goal of this company.
Recommendations of the editorial team
In 2018 they succeeded so well that there was a well-deserved grammy nomination for the album One Drop of Truth. Since then, the Wood Brothers have used the increased attention to think even more consciously outside the box. Puff of Smoke remains an album on the foundations of blues, country and western.
However, the plate has a groove that you don’t hear in the Americana genre. Afrobeat, Creole or Latin American influences – the beats give the songs a lot of carefreeness. The “Money Song” is reminiscent of the ingenious indie fun birds They Might Be Giants, “Witness” of the alternative jazz radio rocker Soul Coughing, the casual title song of Paul Simon. What is missing for the big throw: melodies that really get stuck.
This review was first published in the MusikExpress 08/2025.