Judging from their debut album,
In and Out and Back Again,
Woven Bones aren't a garage band -- they're more of a catacomb band, with their noisy blare sounding like it came right out of a dank basement that hasn't seen sunlight in decades, where the band's amps and PA are usually on the verge of shorting out due to the constant dampness. Then again, there are worse things than a little mildew, and
Woven Bones show they know how to rock with great sneering enthusiasm and force despite their murky surroundings. Andrew Burr lays out sheets of fuzzy guitar while singing in a cranky squall that makes
Sky Saxon sound like
Antony Hegarty, and bassist Matthew Nichols and drummer Colin Ryan lay out the primitive beat steady and without frills, as steady as a heartbeat after five cups of coffee. The band's sludgy but emphatic sound doesn't offer a whole lot in the way of sonic innovation, but even if they didn't invent this stuff, they do right with it, and their fusion of
the Cramps,
the Scientists, and
the Stooges pulls the right elements from each band and fits ‘em together like a clever hot-rodder who knows just what to do with the parts he's stripped.
Woven Bones don't waste time, either -- these nine tunes are over and done in a mere 26 minutes, and Burr and company don't bother littering the disc with their B-list material. If you're looking for some fine rock & roll for your next visit into the dungeon, you would do well to bring along
In and Out and Back Again -- like mushrooms, it's something powerful that thrives in the dark, and it'll open up your head real nice. ~ Mark Deming