THE WOODEN SKY - If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone

I've been listening to The Wooden Sky's new album If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone pretty obsessively since I got my hands on it last Thursday. It was perfect timing too, since I was about to embark on a 7-hour bus ride to Montreal and I was in desperate need of some new music for my trip. So there I was, early Friday morning, departing Toronto in a cramped bus with loud chatter all around me and a storm brewing outside, when I put on my headphones and pressed play on the first track, "Oh My God (It Still Means A Lot To Me)". I closed my eyes and readied myself for sleep when I heard the first line of the song: "Wake up you're getting old." That one line perturbed me enough that I knew I wasn't going to be getting any rest on this trip. It was okay though, because the album kept me engaged enough that time just flew right by. It strikes a perfect balance between quiet, contemplative songs and rollicking sing-alongs, with just the right amount of twang as to not scare anyone away. It's got a sparkling and polished sound courtesy of Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire) and Chris Stringer (Timber Timbre), but it never comes off as cheesy or dishonest. Instead, if you're anything like me after listening to this album, your impression of The Wooden Sky will be that they're a very talented group of young men with fantastic voices, excellent musicianship, and a knack for coming up with memorable melodies. Don't sleep on this one.