Culture
The Wood Brothers II Gladden House Sessions 2019
By: Liz Penry
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The Wood Brothers joined the Gladden House Sessions for one of two unannounced “secret” sets during the festival. Appearing on Sunday afternoon, the trio delivered a compelling performance, combining fervent American-folk with dexterity and soul. Combining a mix of funk, jazz, and bluegrass, it was no surprise that The Wood Brothers kept the sizable crowd on their feet and grooving to the sounds of standing bass, acoustic guitars, and sublimely authentic lyricism.
After Chris and Oliver Wood ended their individual musical careers and intertwined paths with multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix, The Wood Brothers formed. Since then, the three have been recording a myriad of warm, honest melodies and rebellious, spunky sounds. Their latest album, One Drop of Truth (Honey Jar Records, 2018), is their most dynamic yet, with each song full of metaphors about the human search for truth and peace of mind. If the empathetic themes were not enough, each track off the album holds a unique resonance and charm since the trio decided to ditch their traditional way of recording in one studio and experiment throughout various studios across Nashville.
The Wood Brothers began their stellar performance at the Gladden House stage with “Sing About It” from their 2013 album, The Muse (Indirecto Records), followed by “This is it” from One Drop of Truth, and ending with “Keep Me Around” (off The Muse). As an encore, the band ended with “Atlas” from 2006’s Ways Not to Lose (Blue Note Records). There have been many memorable and magical moments throughout the last five seasons of the Gladden House Sessions, and this was surely one of them.