Boulder, Colorado's
the Wood Brothers have been quietly amassing a rich discography of quality blues, folk, soul, R&B, gospel, and country-rock originals since their 2006 debut.
One Drop of Truth marks their sixth trip to the studio, and while it doesn't deviate much from the formula -- a bit of
Bob Dylan, a jigger of
John Prine, a drop or two of
Muddy Waters, and a whole lot of
the Band -- it's easily their most laid-back and lived-in sounding collection to date. Opening with a post-hurricane blues lament that's more fun than it should be, the ten-track set touches on nearly every sonic and stylistic roots rock proclivity, from breezy funk ("Happiness Jones") to mellow, harmony-rich retro-pop ("Seasick Emotions"). That's not to say that it doesn't find time to shimmy and shake -- the swampy "Sky High" and the
Big Pink-worthy "This Is It" are sure to become live staples -- but
Chris and
Oliver Wood, along with jack-of-all-trades
Jano Rix, have settled into the kind of easy groove that can only stem from spending the last decade or so enduring the myriad inside jokes and stale air of life on the road. ~ James Christopher Monger