Wooden Soldiers – Wooden Soldiers

Label: Self-released
Releasedate: 29-11-2019

Wooden Soldiers is the self-titled album by this folk band from Utrecht, in the Netherlands, recently released. The band is composed of 6 people and they sing in English, and they can be characterized by the vocal harmony for most of the album. This might be my first time writing about folk music so I’m a bit confused. I don’t really know what to write about this particular album or if I’m ignoring some important details. Forgive me in advance.

It has an adorable intro that might lead you into thinking that it’s going to be an epic album. It’s cute and adorable. But not epic. If you, dear listener, enjoy folk-type sweet songs that will lead you to think about your ex and realize why you broke up in first place, this is for you. And there are violins too. But it’s not gonna cut it if you are expecting power. Some folk songs have it too, some folk songs will go full-on power mode, with pipes and drums. Now, Wooden Soldiers is a bit like a christian band you will listen Sunday morning at your parish café. They are most definitely not your pagan, evil, diabolical folk, the folk I most relate to. But they are good musicians. That is obvious and the effort is pretty much there. I have to say that the amount of work behind this album is great and that deserves all my respect.

The musical constructions sound very good and well-thought throughout the album, with some complexity in the composition, already in the first song, with the title “You Know”. “Crazy” goes to some extra length and it seems that the guitar might go absolutely nuts. It goes for a bit but then resumes the sweetness mellow sound. “Fly On” states the classic statement of any indie band of being “high on you”, whatever that is supposed to mean.

The story ends with the ladies complaining about the crazy town in a track called “Crazy Town” and, finally there is some kind of marriage acceptance with “I do”.

To finalize, the band is composed of good musicians but they would do a favor to themselves if they would be playing in dutch. If you are about to get married and need a good soundtrack for your engagement party, this is it. I would still see them live.

Line up:

• Song / guitar: Frank Wolff
• Voice / Indian harmonium / Ukulele: Agnes Loonstra
• Voice: Nora Iburg
• Bass guitar: Jan vd Hoeven
• Drums: Bart van Gemert
• Violin: Marthe Lasthuis

Tracklist

01.Intro
02. You Know
03. Potion
04. City Lights
05. Carry
06. Fly On
07. Wind and Rain
08. The Joker
09. The Garden pt. I
10. The Garden pt. II
11. My Name
12. Crazy Town
13. I Do

Links:

Facebook
Bandcamp
Official