When I received an email from Ravenna Woods sharing their disc and inviting me to their CD release party for their brand new LP,
Demons And Lakes, I did something I rarely do: I listened to the album as soon as I got it. Everything about the band's
approach just rubbed me the right way, and I was surprised at how much I liked the release immediately. The sound was original, the
potential was exciting for the Seattle music scene, and the name was mysterious enough that their CD release show at The Black Lodge
seemed appropriate. So, I decided to go to their CD release show and see if their live show lived up to their album.
Listen to "In The World" off of Demons And Lakes
I arrived at The Black Lodge just in time to see the second to last band, Heatwarmer, a self-confessed "Phish-like noodling" jam band.
And a jam band they were, replete with hippie audience, unpredictable musical transitions, and songs that were probably a bit oo long.
They crafted a fun atmosphere, though, and weren't absolutely intolerable like a lot of jam bands are. They even brought in Expanding
Universe, a small collection of young jazz musicians, who accompanied the band and made Heatwarmer's catalog feel a lot more robust in
the live setting.
By the time Ravenna Woods took the stage, it was pretty late. Not everyone in the venue knew who they were, but a good portion were
their friends, and the rest seemed to stick around just to see whose CD release show it was. In fact, their whole set felt very homey,
with some friends of the band sitting right on stage with them. At the halfway point, the band even popped open some bottles of
champagne for the crowd to share and took group pictures to celebrate their big day. It confused some people for sure, but who cares?
It was their party.
Demons And Woods is a 14-track disc that clocks in at a little under 50 minutes, and Ravenna Woods may have played the
majority of the tracks from the release this evening. While watching the three-piece, I couldn't help but compare them to fellow Seattlites Feral Children, who make a much more experimental brand of folk-inspired rock. But the comparison is less related to the music and more related to the setup for Ravenna Woods' live show, which takes on a raw, stripped-down approach. The members of Ravenna Woods seem to be multi-instrumentalists in the most humble of ways: vocalist and guitarist Chris Cunningham plays guitar and sings, of course, but also keeps percussion using tambourines strapped to his ankles. Drummer Matt Badger certainly drums, but uses all parts of his minimal drum kit. And lastly, Brantley Duke sings, plays the xylophone, and uses a drum as a chair, which he occasionally uses when added percussion is necessary.
Also notable is the sense of urgency inherent in Ravenna Woods' music. Between Cunningham's vivid vocals and his frenzied guitar-picking -- which, on acoustic guitar, is rare and fascinating to hear but even better to witness live -- Ravenna Woods feel very much like a notable presence, despite the fact that they've just released their album. Everything about Demons And Lakes and Ravenna Woods' sound feels pieced together professionally. It feels like a complete, dedicated work, and I can't recommend them more. I'm very hopeful for the dent Ravenna Woods may make on the Seattle indie rock scene, which seems to be a bit mediocre as of late.
