The Woods (Linda Smith) - So Long Before Now The Woods (Linda Smith)

Predominantly known as the musical genesis of eventual home 4-track folk pioneer Linda Smith, The Woods’ organically experimental blend of folk style and pop sensibilities epitomize 80s NYC underground music. Included here is their lone 1985 single plus a full album’s worth of previously unreleased recordings and a zine-style insert filled with liner notes and ephemera.

The Woods are often associated with New York’s post-punk scene, a designation that may ring true in the sense of their DIY ethic but in a musical sense is far too simplistic. The band is as informed by the harmonies of 70s British folk music as they are by the droning minimalism of the Velvet Underground. Their pop sensibilities run deep, and their noisier and experimental moments seem to be rooted more in the desire for artistic dramatic effect than anything that could be considered punk. The complexity of their harmonies and penchant for melody are really what sets the band apart.

In a sense, the band epitomizes 1980s New York underground music, so much so that one could easily see them slotted next to the likes of Sonic Youth, Lydia Lunch, or even Laurie Anderson. This, however, was not The Woods’ reality. While they were indeed in New York, the group never quite felt they were part of New York or anything that could be defined as a New York scene. In a strange way this could have been somewhat because of the band’s greatest strength, their undefinable sound.

The record and its subtle punk momentum, jangle pop sensibilities, and hint of droning dissonance found the attention of local DJs, papers like The Village Voice, and college radio stations, including Yale University's WYBC. “Miracles Tonight,” the single’s A side, is marked by its rather sunny vocal arrangements and propelled by a looping bass groove, worthy of an Andy Rourke comparison, that locks in tightly with the drums. The record’s flipside, “Love Me Again This Summer,” comes across as both a revelling folk song and a lamenting dirge. It’s both anthemic and somber, somehow holding a space in which The Association and The Velvet Underground could exist in the same place. The production is sparse, but it’s exactly what the band’s sound required, room enough for the layers of music and vocals to both coalesce and stand on their own.

This collection is mainly comprised of songs written for a full length album that never was. The vinyl portion is bookended by the two tracks from the band’s single on Justine, and it also contains compositions in various stages of development.