Recorded at vocalist Marcel Borrack’s home studio, For Woods Or Trail is one of Australia’s strongest debuts of 2012. The warmth of the summer sun can almost be felt throughout the whole album, as each track threatens to outdo the next.
Opening single “Kill To Feel” is a wonderful mix of new synthesized sounds, organic folk rock groove and thick harmony. This single sets the mood for the rest of the album as “Tennis Clothes”, an upbeat and carefree pop hit that smacks of good times, continues to raise the listener’s spirits.
As you make your way through tracks like “Oh Japan”, “Here Come The Bees”, “I Should Have Known” and “Wires”, you start to understand the ambitious depth contained within this debut.
Produced by Borrack himself and mastered by Francois Tetaz (who has also been at the helm of projects from Gotye, Kimbra and Architecture In Helsinki), this debut is soaked in beautiful sound, excellent performances and incredible production.
While the summery impression does little to reflect Melbourne’s actual weather patterns of late, For Woods Or Trail paints a brilliantly accurate picture of our city. For lovers of sincere, well written pop, rock and soul, this is your new summer playlist.
– Nigel Moyes
