Haunt the Woods – Ubiquity
Spinefarm Records
8,0/10,0
Brief:
In the deepest reaches of the English countryside there is a sublime sound that emanates from the landscape and its name is Haunt the Woods. Formed between Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall in 2016 and commanders of a legion-like local following, Haunt the Woods deftly interweave alt rock, folk, prog and pop with an epic level of pomp and poetic elegance that suggests a far longer tenure than their young years suggest.
With two warmly received EPs and a debut album, Opaque which was released in 2020, the stage has been set for their overdue introduction to the world, and a beautifully crafted record, Fever Dream: 12 tracks of eccentric brilliance and light and shade and that most uncommon quality: range. From the cinematic scale of their operatic opening track to the stirring, confessional balladry of Home and the dreamy psychedelia of Overflow, Haunt the Woods’ magic is in their multi-faceted approach to songwriting. Spend any time with the musicians behind it and you’ll see why. With the time, space, and salty air to let their ideas flourish and grow, it is both a testament to musicianship and a powerful statement of intent.
Supercharged by the production wizardry of Peter Miles whose weighty credits include Architects, We are the Ocean and Martin Grech among many others, Fever Dream was produced over seven weeks in a residential studio which granted the powerful upstarts those two rarest commodities: time, and space.
But if a thought to composition and a progressive approach to influence makes them sound like the candlelit dinner to most people’s right-swipe, make no mistake about the colossal sounds that Fever Dream contains. A band with the imagination to dream and the chops to deliver, their time is now.
Tracklist:
1 Fever Dream
2 Gold
3 Save Me
4 Equilibrium
5 Home
6 The Line Part II
7 Now Is Our Time
8 Ubiquity
9 Overflow
10 Sleepwalking
11 Numb
12 Said And Done
Main Focus Tracks:
1 Fever Dream
2 Gold
9 Overflow
Other Recommended Tracks:
3 Save Me
7 Now Is Our Time
11 Numb
Line-Up:
Jonathan Stafford – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Phoenix Elleschild – Lead Guitar
Oliver Bignell – Drums
Jack Hale – Bass
Comments:
Ubiquity puts Haunt the Woods at the top of the list of the most inventive and authentic modern bands. Ubiquity turns out to be an excellent surprise!
Contact:
Videos:
Selected Discography:
Opaque – 2020
Ubiquity – 2023
- Photo Credit: band