Album Review: Woodhands - Heart Attack

Originally published September 26, 2008 in Soundcheck Magazine.
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Woodhands
Heart Attack
Paper Bag Records

Before superstar athletes such as Michael Phelps hit Beijing for the Olympics, Toronto-based electro duo Woodhands chalked one up for Canada. Woodhands’ Chinese debut in May made a splash with two electrifying performances that reached energy levels of Olympic proportions. Without skipping a beat, Woodhands backs up the well-received performances with its sophomore release, Heart Attack.

Heart Attack is the first Woodhands album on Toronto’s independent label, Paper Bag Records, home to Broken Social Scene and Tokyo Police Club’s back catalog. Staying true to the label’s dynamic roster, Woodhands opts out from the laptop route of making electronic music and instead records and performs with more conventional instruments. Woodhands is composed of Dan Werb on vocals, keytar, synthesizers, and drum machines and Paul Banwatt on drums and vocals. The outcome is a loud mix of piercing beats and punchy sounds that rival the high spirits of other 2008 dance records such as Hot Chip’s Made in the Dark and Girl Talk’s Feed the Animals.

Not only do Werb and Banwatt create songs that can fuel a dance party well into the night, but they also add an element of surprise to each track. “In the Woods” begins with gritty synthesizers and pounding bass, but it ends with the organic sound of hand drums. Banwatt’s drumming really stands out and is refreshing against the synthesizers and loops.

Other surprise treats include guest vocals by fellow Canadian and Henri Fabergé and The Adorables member Maylee Todd on “Dancer”. Todd’s voice on the track is graceful and wistful; unfortunately, Werb tries to add contrast with brash vocoder shouts, which end up sounding a little too harsh and distracting. Werb alters his voice on quite a few occasions, but he sounds best when his less-abrasive and natural voice is tweaked to sound spacey and robotic.

Heart Attack ends on an elegant note with the softer “Straighten the Curtain” and “Sailboats” signaling the end of the dance party but leaving the listener with anticipation for the next one.