The WOOLDRIDGE BROTHERS are a band who if you watch a lot of TV, you may well have already heard. Hailing from the good ole US of A; the Midwest no less, they have racked up quite a number of TV credits over the years. This compilation spans a total of seven years and 16 tunes of variable quality but seeing as they're demo's and outtakes, we'll allow a little slack.
The first tune ' I Didn't See It Coming' is a pleasant enough opener; bright and tuneful alt country rock with hammond strains. Think Wilco or Ryan Adams. Next up 'First Lesson' doesn't fare so well sounding like something you might expect to hear on 'Friends' etc.. Counting Crows, Hootie and the Blowfish, not that I make it my business to know much about either of those bands of course..Unfortunately a good half of the songs fall into this
category and are either too eighties pop sounding or just too plain cheezy!No need to dwell anymore on these then, they've used the slack and then some.
The remainder and more appealing songs are understated and largely acoustic affairs. The best tune from these is arguably track nine 'Counter Culture People' which through the medium of piano, fiddle and a lone voice expresses just the right sentiment of low key country for a long cold night. The following 'Unbelievable Truth' and 'Fascism on the Road' are two more tuneful alt rockers. The first maintaining the acoustic feel but upping the tempo and the latter sounding like Elvis Costello/ Springsteen with a mean
psychobilly ending. Add to this 'Four Hours'; another alt country acoustic rocker and closing number 'Hog Town'; more of the same but this time with a groovy rockabilly bassline and you have the makings of a good reckid.
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Ok, so back to the TV shows they've been on;these include: 'Party of Five'; 'Young and the Restless'; 'Nearly Famous' and the 'Anna Nicole Smith Show'. Anyone who is or has been a regular viewer of all four of those shows can give yourself a pat on the back for being very strange indeed; turn yourself in now!. They've also been on some film soundtracks: 'Contact' remember that strange space travel flik with Jodie Foster? and 'Some Mother's Son'. So some interesting stuff!
There's no denying then that these boys can write a tune and have an ear for a melody but at the same time there's also no denying that some of this has been done keeping one eye firmly on the bank balance and the other on commercial trends; it's quite
mercenary really but then that's pop music for yer!
All in all ,there's too much of that US TV sound goin' on for me to feel totally relaxed about these thoroughly midwestern brothers, too much gloss and wallpaper not enough sanding down and paint, too many TV shows, too much industry not enough music...
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