Birthmarks CD

Motherhood, or the run up to that life changing step and the emotions that come with it, is never far from "Birthmarks". Woods recorded the album while expecting, with the two unarguably inspiring urban surrounds of Galway, Ireland and Oslo, Norway, providing a backdrop to that process. Both cities are prime places for thoughtful moods, and in some ways it's possible to argue that has been distilled onto record here. An air of mystery pervades everything, as whispered lullabies join tearful string harmonies, drawing us in to places of depth and real soul searching. In many ways it's a sombre trip, in other ways a journey through calming hallucinatory otherness that you can't quite put your finger on but seems strangely familiar. Experimental avant-garde folk, downtempo naturalism and an exploration of disquiet and aural unknowns.