Woolly Leaves - Dew Dab
(Die! Venom)
Since becoming a "reviewer" at this illustrious music webzine, my repertoire of rock journalist adjectives has been severely tested. Never much of a reader, my limited vocabulary has been consistently challenged attempting to describe some of stuff we review here. The David Grubbs record was clinically accurate, the Microphones record was elemental, the Snow Globe record whimsical, and the Daedelus record was otherwordly. The debut record by Toronto band Woolly Leaves presents me with not so much a challenge as an opportunity to applaud. For Dew Dab wanders down the street, falls down and gets up, and dances the tango all before the final track. It is an understated bundle, which becomes unraveled with each listen.
Whil K.'s clever lyrics describe the trials and tribulations of a twentysomething trying to navigate through a haze of cigarettes, late nights, and college radio. It is just packed with nifty lines. As Whil sings on "Something New," "If I was anymore tired I'd be dead/killed my goldfish cause his bright orange glow reminds me of sunshine." Having spent a few years in the trenches with seminal South-Western Ontario band Lyang Schwang, Whil K. knows a thing or two about pulling the right strings. "45 Days" is the song that Sloan hasn't written since 1994. "Scissor" opens with a pretty guitar plucked line accompanied by halting vocals before bopping into a melody that you will have humming all the way to the party.
>From singer Whil K.'s voice, with its Malkmus-like lilt, to the use of Polvo-esque chords and song patterns and lo-fi production, Dew Dab is rooted in mid-90s indie-rock. What distinguishes Woolly Leaves from some of their contemporaries, and predecessors, is their ability to switch chord patterns, rhythms and time signatures on a penny. Woolly Leaves songs don't so much flow, as rather climb peaks, descend valleys and change directions when you least expect it. This element of unpredictability makes Dew Dab a refreshing listen and while they often tamper with conventional song structure, Woolly Leaves clearly respect the power of a good pop/rock song.
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