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Whatever was lacking on Treasury Library Canada was made up for Houndstooth Europa. In a sense the second CD of the package is a polar opposite. It’s more Mark Andrew Hamilton’s solo efforts with much less contribution from band members. While songs are stripped down to more a singer-songwriter effort, it’s what was lacking on the previous album. Singer-songwriters have to connect with you from the start and Hamilton does a wonderful job on songs like Oberkampf and Ladybug Ladybird. Feelings, emotions or even song lyrics seemed rather irrelevant on Treasury Library Canada where more emphasis was on the music and instrumentals.

The songs are raw and at its very core. Still, I feel the need to appreciate these rough works compared to the actual release (Houndstooth Europa being an “extra” cd). At times it feels like it could be a live album with sections like “That’s not even the right words” in front of Thoughts on the One Who Got Away by the One He Left Behind or even sections where Mark Hamilton is speaking to get the song in tune with other band members. I think it’s a reminder at its core, Woodpigeon can do whatever they want and their talent is for real, not just another very big band that plays with classical influences.

Still both CDs being polar opposite, you would like to see a mixture of the two. The songs aren’t quite the complete package musically and it’s definitely something that Woodpigeon should look to work on for future releases.

Being a very short album with rough songs, it’s hard to say if I should count this as a “final” effort. Maybe we’ll get to see the songs turn/evolve into songs like on Treasury Library Canada. Maybe not.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Capped off with an electro/psychedelic remix. Definitely unnecessary but it doesn’t hurt. Maybe this album should’ve been it’s own release. Definitely well worth it.

Oberkampf by Woodpigeon
Ladybug Ladybird by Woodpigeon

(According to the band, a woodpigeon resembles moose or caribou)

Woodpigeon is a band out of Calgary, Alberta and employs a quartet with the use flutes, accordions, pianos and a ton of string instruments.

Like with typical large bands, they usually employ classical influenced sound (why else would you need such a big band). Anyway, Woodpigeon has been receiving rave reviews from other fellow Canadian blogs like Herohill and Chromewaves among other places. The album is receiving a reissue on Boompa Records in addition to an extra CD Houndstooth Europa (which will be reviewed in the foreseeable future).

Woodpigeon really captured my attention with the track, Love in Time of Hopscotch. Who doesn’t like hopscotch? The song itself is a pop track but song beautiful between male and female vocals with the subtle use of a violin and what sounds like a ukulele. To me it’s by far the standout track. It’s not the standout track for being the poppiest but a track that is most certainly definable.

I will warn you, I do have a tendency to concentrate on the negative during my reviews but on “Treasury Library Canada”, I really just couldn’t find my niche. In a sense the track “I Live A Lot Of Places” represents, both figuratively and musically how I feel on this album. The track begins with an extensive classical introduction, a depressing violin slowly taking progressively getting more and more aggressive, then at the 1:15 mark it breaks into a entirely different string arrangement (via the ukulele?) and while it keeps up for 2 minutes, it changes again (albeit subtlety) and back to the aggressive violins and full circle. I like each part individually but I just can’t find that niche that allows me to enjoy the variety of sounds that make up Woodpigeon.

The album certainly “lives a lot of places” to a point where its jumping around, adding different adventures to a song that would be smooth sailing (this could be good or bad). The experimentation doesn’t feel like it’s experimenting for the sake of doing so, I feel like the music is trying to be progressive folk of some sort but ends up being too aggressive with the context of each song. A lot of the tracks try to come full circle to try to tie it all in but my ears and mind are just not convinced.

There is A LOT to like on this album, but it barely feels like one. I understand the praise it’s received by then again I understand where people feel rather lukewarm on this album. Woodpigeon as a band try many different things musically, vocally and every song structure is different and surprising. This album is really a box of chocolates, a lot of it tastes good and there’s a ton of variety but when you eat too much of it, you feel sick or just leave the ones you don’t like in the box. That might be a harsh statement but at initial listens I was really digging this album and it just didn’t work out the way I thought it would’ve but boxes of chocolate are always welcome.

I’m a little torn but I’ll meet it in the middle.
Rating: 3.9 out of 5
Woodpigeon could be up to something great in the future. For now I’ll just say that they’re a good Canadian band that has the right parts but hasn’t made “that” album that people talk about for years or maybe at the end of the year.

Love In The Time of Hopscotch by Woodpigeon
I Live A Lot of Places by Woodpigeon
In the Battle of Sun vs. Curtains, Sun Loses And We Sleep Until Noon by Woodpigeon