"Alabaster" kicks off
Kingdom in My Mind
,
the Wood Brothers
' eighth studio album, with a slow, thick groove, its swampiness a reflection of how the album originated from a series of studio jams. The band didn't enter the studio with the intent of recording a new album, but they were taken with the results of their recording, so brothers
Chris
and
Oliver Wood
shaped the improvisations into songs. Starting with a collection of funky rustic recordings wound up being a boon to the
Wood Brothers
, letting
establish a vibe that's cozy, homespun, and just slightly slick. Chalk the polish up to how the group are veterans with a good sense of space and feel, a knack that they're pushing on
over tasteful songcraft. This doesn't mean that the songs don't stick -- many do after repeated listens -- but the appeal of the album is how
offer up their own spin on a fusion of
the Band
the Allmans
, and
the Dead
, sometimes cranking up the guitars, sometimes pushing busy rhythms, but they always stay focused on their influences and have created an album that's warm, welcoming, and relaxing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine