Following up a masterpiece (Sleater-Kinney’s One Beat was my #1 album of 2002) is always a daunting and career threatening task. Sleater-Kinney’s girl punk sound had become increasingly sophisticated and delicately crafted over the years and they felt the need for some changes on The Woods. For starters, they switched labels. After four albums on little indie Kill Rock Stars, they’ve moved to indie giant Sub Pop, however the move is anything but a push towards commercial accessibility. The dissonant chords, discordant vocals and particularly the distorted production are more of a return to their first two albums on teeny label Chainsaw. Songs are longer, more complex and noisier than anything they’ve done (think Sonic Youth), while their signature counterpoint melodies (Corin Tucker’s banshee yelps dueling with Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss’ sweeter girlie harmonies) often take a backseat to some of Corin’s strongest and ballsiest howls (think Led Zeppelin). The Woods is certainly not Sleater-Kinney’s most impressive or listenable work, but it seems to be a necessary step in the evolution of a great band.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “Jumpers“; “Wilderness”
Medium Rotation track: “Modern Girl”
Grade: B+