DONOVAN WOODS plays Canadian Music Fest on Friday (March 22) at the Lounge at the Marriott Hotel and on Saturday (March 23) at the Central. See listings. Rating: NNNN
Donovan Woods named his third album after a quote by author Richard Ford to remind himself that simple is almost always best. He follows through on that idea most evidently in his production choices: Don’t Get Too Grand is a completely clutter-free folk album built up primarily from acoustic guitar, piano and Woods’s hushed vocals. But it’s also ambient and beautiful, thanks to brief, well-chosen moments of strings, drums and experimental background noise.
This clarity of sound lets the Sarnia-born musician’s melancholy vignettes about life, leaving and love shine through. There’s an accessibility to his music – he’s got melodic hooks for days – that gives the album a commercial touch, and that’s kept in check by the humble production, Canadiana references and stylistic variety. You Don’t Say is Steve Earle-ish country, while passionate Sask evokes Bon Iver, for example.
This is emotional music that doesn’t sound fragile or overwrought, a difficult balancing act that Woods pulls off effortlessly.
Top track: Put On, Cologne
