“tricky_woo”
Tricky Woo
Sometimes I Cry
Sonic Unyon
I recall a saying which states the profound is often found within the subtle. Such is the case with a band I may never have come to know (and love) without the aid of our illustrious editor, who found a proper home for one of the (if not THE), most hard-hitting throw-back rock incarnations I have heard in years.
Sure, there’s the glorious revelations that have been brought to light and graced these very pages – i.e. the Hellacopters, Fu Manchu, etc. Tricky Woo follows suit, however, along the way they bring a variety of influences and manage to weave them into something so Seventies, so basic, yet all their own. And what’s more ironic is the fact this jewel has come from the Great White North (Montreal), a country whose musical exports have done nothing for this reviewer (well, maybe Rush’s 2112 ). Tricky Woo mild-manneredly crossed the border and kicked my sub-tropical ass!
There is no indication by the band name or unassuming, psychedelia-laced artwork as to the momentously beautiful contents that lie within. Ten seconds into the opening track instrumental, “Altamont Raven,” your first thought may be this is too good to last for eleven more tunes. Each ensuing song intensifies the experience. “Fly the Orient” and others mix a Sixties-style Beatlesque riff with Seventies rock-god guitar and killer straining vocals, which complement all remaining tracks. It’s this blending of Sixties/hippie/earthchild “kiss the sky” lyrics (“Lady of the Wind”) and whammy bars flyin’ that make the Tricky Woo recipe delectable. “I Need Love” and “Electric Orchard” further demonstrate no modern day gimmickry or computer-generated effects can rival stripped down, straight-on rock!
My friends, this much is true: the rock you seek is named “Tricky Woo” – Ehh? As they proclaim in “Sad Eyed Woman”: “I’m gonna save you with Rock-N-Roll.” ‘Nuff said.
Sonic Unyon, P.O. Box 57347, Jackson Station, Hamilton, Ontario L8P 4X2 CANADA; http://www.sonicunyon.com
