Woodpecker Crisis
Periscope, 2020
8/10
Cody Lee has a lengthy and impressive resume that includs playing with Peter Green, the Dictators, Secret Chiefs, and Cody & The Gateway Drugs, among many others. These days he’s going the solo route, and here Kurt Eger lends a hand on several instruments as he brings his vast experience and skill to 9 very well thought out tracks.
Lee starts the listen with the soulful and playful “New Normal”, where his smooth pipes suit the frisky percussion and warm guitar that takes nods to funk, and “BadThingsHappen” follows with graceful acoustic guitar as bare balladry unfolds with much beauty and poetic songwriting.
Closer to the halfway point, “Ruin” displays a bluesy influence as minimal but powerful instrumentation soundtracks scathing wordplay about someone Lee isn’t too fond of, while “Drowning” blends both grit and melody into a cautious rock formula. “California”, an exceptional tune, then displays a strong sense of singer-songwriter skill as a string friendly background adds much to the timeless appeal.
“Nobody” and “Goodnight” bookend the listen, where the former is a swift and raw execution of rhythmic ideas, and the latter finishes sparse and inviting, as Lee’s brand of intimacy is both moving and comforting.
An album that explore grooves, melodies and rhythm while touching on funk, Americana, blues and rock, Woodpecker Crisis is often a minimal effort, where Lee and Eger illustrate precise and eloquent song craft that will be relevant and enjoyable for decades to come.
Travels well with: The Guilty Lenses- Somewhat Romance, Somewhat Poetry; The Pierce Project- Songs For Emi