Wooden Shjips – West review

San Francisco natives, Wooden Shjips, take us on a transcendent voyage of the American west coast with the appropriately entitled forthcoming LP West. Set for release from Thrill Jockey on September 13^th in North America, Wooden Shjips take you on a metaphorical journey with the use of airy vocals, steady rhythms and heavy guitar lines.

The album is reminiscent of 60’s and 70’s psychedelic rock, with long, melodic guitar tunes and vague vocals, which stays true to Wooden Shjips’ essence.  The band had previously recorded all albums in their rehearsal studio, piece by piece. However, West is the first album the band has recorded in a professional recording studio with the help of sound engineer Phil Manley (Thrill Jockey).

One of my favorite tracks, “Lazy Bones”, transports the listener down the California coastline, road tripping with your best friend in a beat-up mustang. The blazing west coast sun beaming on your sun kissed cheeks, the hot desert air blowing in through the windows, the mystery of driving into the unknown, not a care in the world.

The darkness of each song and drone of the deep guitar line tie each song on this album together. Traveling unknown lands, evoking a sense of exploration and mystery with each track. Focusing on the instrumentals and guitar melody as opposed to strong vocals, allows the listener to daydream, to transport themselves out of their reality and into the hot Californian wasteland.

Perfect for putting on when relaxing, road tripping, or any other mind numbing activity. The album is rhythmically homogeneous, changing from one track to the next without the listener being aware they’re halfway through the album. Or was I too busy driving through the Californian desert to notice? I digress; don’t look to Wooden Shjips to deliver an upbeat song for a night on the town. Look to them when you’re in the mood to relax and be taken away.

Wooden Shjips are currently touring Europe, and will be hitting North America in November. You can pre-order their album on Thrill Jockey’s website.