What can you really say about another release from Woodsist Records? The first time I listened to How to Survive In/In the Woods by Woods, I was excited by the idiosyncratic lo-fi folk-pop which all but gurgled out of my headphones but lately a lot of the label’s releases seem to blend together. As I have discussed in past reviews on this site, lo-fi recording techniques can work as a stylistic choice but there is a point when it becomes frustrating for the listener. The debut LP by White Fence, while enjoyable, is also slightly troubling.
This album is loaded with well-constructed psychedelic pop songs. On Woodsist’s web site, it is frequently described as being influenced by the work of Arthur Lee. I believe this to be a fair claim but I also feel that the complete lack of budget is an extreme hindrance on the recording. The tape-hiss and distortions start out charming but my attitude changed about halfway through my second listen at which time it occurred to me that these songs are too good for this.
With a better recording quality, this album could find an audience similar to that which has been enjoyed by modern psychedelic artists such as the Olivia Tremor Control. Obviously, otc is not a band who records on professional equipment but their albums are recorded well and therefore are listenable and enjoyable. Anyone who is not used to lo-fi recordings or who is not patient enough to dig through the tape-hiss will not make it far enough into White Fence to discover how good it is.
It seems that Woodsist Records is trying to create an empire of artists who work hard to make their records sound as awful as possible. Personally, I am tired of this. They are limiting their musicians artistic freedom by turning poor quality into an aesthetic.
Most artists who start out making bedroom recordings eventually improve. They move from 4-track to 8-track, analogue to digital, solo to band: anything to further broaden their artistic palette but the musicians on Woodsist seem to be stuck in a state of arrested development. Buried beneath the broken promises of damaged tapes and dollar store microphones: they are condemned to be lost to history.
As a former champion of Woodsist Records, I find it extra frustrating to feel so annoyed by their new releases. It is true that I have not listened to every single one of their releases but I have heard enough to feel comfortable reducing an entire catalog to one complaint. Maybe I am getting to the point where I have heard too many records to have the patience to work to love an album anymore but I feel like my brain has been irreversibly damaged by tape hiss. These days, a little goes a long way.
With all of this said, I still think that you should listen to the debut album by White Fence. It is one of the best lo-fi psychedelia releases I have heard in a long time. Each song impressively connects to the next to create an immersive experience which is almost trance-inducing in its completeness. It must be said however: if this was well-recorded it would be 80% better and (as you probably have gathered) 80% is enough to make me mad.
