By Emily Ask
Woodhands is a synth-pop band you can relate to, which sounds absurd, but it’s true. Granted, their songs are made for the dance floor and in that situation you don’t need to relate to anything other than the beat, but there’s a story clearly being told in Remorsecapade that’s intriguing, if not a little melancholy.
The appropriately-titled Remorsecapade transports listeners to a chaotic, erratic and sweaty place, where the music is so loud you have to scream to be heard. Woodhands paints this image with their keytars and synthesizers during the first half of the album, and you can’t leave before you go through every experience the album has prepared.
Advances are made in “Pockets,” “CP24” takes you on an adventure, tension builds in the song “Sluts,” arguments break out in “Coolchazine.” This is not feel-good dance music, but it feels good to dance to it.
The second half of the album takes a step back, the pace slows and the vocals grow less intense. Woodhands narrate the walk home, the morning after, the Gatorade, the reflection on everything that happened throughout the night.
Upon first listen, some of the later songs feel out of place, like “Dissembler” and “I Want to Be Together.” What happened to the noise and chaos? Why so serious? We’ve left the escapade and hit the inevitable reflection and “remorse” in Remorsecapade.
It’s great to see a synth-pop band offer outstanding and addictive dance tracks while avoiding idiotic cliches that over-glamorize the dance floor.