MADISON TAYLOR

The Deep Dark Woods delivering one of their haunting live performances.

The Deep Dark Woods warble off the beaten path and into uncharted musical soundscapes in their newest album, Jubilee.

It is a rare occurrence for a band’s sound to embody its name, but there is no better way to describe the mournful singing of this Saskatoon-based band than by the simple title they have christened themselves with.

Jubilee transports its listener into a shadowy forest of resonant guitar and soulful vocals. To further embellish their woodland mystique, the band recorded the album in a cabin nestled in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. Clearly these gentlemen take the atmospheric quality of their music very seriously.

The album itself is composed of wistful ballads such as “It’s Been a Long Time” and feel-good alternative country beats like “Red Red Rose”. The groups talent for generating vividly old-world atmosphere is particularly evident in tracks such as “Pacing the Room” and the delicately understated “I Took to Whoring”, in which the finger-picked guitar, sultry lyrics and haunting organ notes create the image of a luckless crooner reminiscing about lost love in a hazy saloon.

The Deep Dark Woods boast a unique vintage feel that vaguely resembles that of Nick Cave and The Byrds, yet simultaneously possess a hauntingly original sound of their own. The band’s fifth album is indeed a jubilee; it is a triumph of masterful antique sound, melancholy vocals and poetic lyricism characterized by loss and longing.

The group even resurrects rare and delightfully dated instruments such as the celesta and the vibraphone that further authenticate their old-fashioned ambience and tint it with an almost psychedelic vibe.

Jubilee places the Deep Dark Woods indisputably among Saskatoon’s finest. Who knew such an eloquent, deep woods sound could be born in the heart of the prairies.

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Photo: Rubato Music and Events Photography