Austin, Texas-based Woody Russell is accumulating a growing reputation as one of the most challenging songwriters and instrumentalists working in music today. His latest EP release This is Son Solitaire features three songs indicative of the fiery and impassioned world we’ve inhabited over the last few years, especially in light of the pandemic. Russell’s riding an impressive creative streak with this trio of compositions as it is difficult to point toward a similar effort in recent years that encompasses more of the personal and worldly chaos many of us have experienced. It checks off multiple boxes and invites repeated listens.
URL: https://www.woodyrussell.com/
Synthesizers and fat bass dominate much of the sonic character of the album opener. “Swinging for the Fence” has an affirmative message that doesn’t view the world through rose-colored glasses but urges listeners to always keep striving even in the face of the world’s unceasing resistance. Russell’s voice helps reinforce that message. He has a clear, robust tone that cuts through the arrangement and calls attention to itself with each line. Other critical components of the opener are the muscular, exploratory drumming and rugged electric guitar playing.
“Lifeboat” pulls back on the aforementioned guitar work. There is a smattering of orchestral-themed six-string work present in the cut, but “Lifeboat” leans harder toward the pairing of assertive percussion and colorful synthesizer lines. Bass is prominent as well. There is a theatrical strand present in this song, as well, lacking in the opener, but it’s never overwrought. The wide-open plaintive emotion of Russell’s voice is another highlight of the performance.
This is Son Solitaire concludes with “Straight Space (Unhinged)”. He pairs the song’s symbolic social commentary with a churning, quasi-industrial-sounding arrangement that once again incorporates guitar alongside dependable synthesizer lines, throbbing bass, and hard-hitting drums. There are assorted peaks and valleys built into the composition that Russell orchestrates with superb skill. It is an emphatic conclusion for this EP that feels and sounds much more ambitious than its five-minute running time may suggest.
Woody Russell sets benchmarks to reach with each new release and they rarely vary. He aspires to more than mere entertainment; Russell plots and pivots in such a way that he’s aiming for musical art every time. This is Son Solitaire meets those lofty goals without much obvious strain. Marrying a friendly pop sheen with challenging arrangements and an intelligent lyrical message distinguishes Russell’s work from a bevy of lesser talents on the scene.
You will get more out of these three songs than you will out of many much longer releases. Russell has the necessary skill to pack a multitude of ideas into a single track without the performance ever coming across as forced or cluttered. It is a wonderful EP release that has something to offer every listener and calls on you to revisit the songs more than once. Its riches run deep and show a musical artist and songwriter who has a lot to say. Woody Russell’s This is Son Solitaire proves that he deserves our full attention.
Garth Thomas