Blues Revue, 2/1/2010
Hal Horowitz

Sometimes you can tell a book, or an album, by its cover.  Look at the
front panel art name of this pacific Northwest quartet, and it's obvious
this is no ordinary blues outfit.

Woodbrain, with its ominous cover painting of children in a burning body
of liquid, approaches the blues in unique, if not entirely revolutionary
ways.  The press release calls Woodbrain "progressive blues," and that's a
close enough description.  Joe McMurrian leads this foursome into artsy
but unpretentious blues-rock that borrows equally from both genres, yet
doesn't sound like most acts that populate the overcrowed field.  Credit
McMurrian's originals, which flaunt their roots in the stark Delta
resonance of Bukka White and the oblique folk of Bert Jansch (songs by
both are covered here in distinctive arrangements), while being poked and
prodded by the powerful strains of Led Zeppelin and Cream.  Unlike other
acts that share these influences, Woodbrain doesn't ape riffs or licks,
but funnels its bluesy essence into material that shapeshifts as it avoids
cliches.

The psychedelic atmospherics that kicks off "Port Chicago Highway" yield
to a rocking beat driven by McMurrian's gruff voice and jazzy, jagged
guitar and harpist David Lipkind's slanted, incisive blowing.  Add a
winding, unusual song structure and you have Woodbrain's basic blueprint;
it's surely blues, but twisted and skewed by dynamic songs and edgy
playing that never take the easy logical way out.  From longer
compositions such as "Storm Clouds," which seems to ooze up out of the
Mississippi swamps, to "Turpentine," which whips up a thumping tornado of
intensity in two minutes and 46 seconds, the guys in the band refashion
the blues while maintaining its innate honesty.

Anything offbeat isn't going to register with everyone, especially in a
genre that holds onto traditions tightly. But those looking for new
directions for the blues will welcome Woodbrain's unorthodox yet
respectful style.


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Blues Revue, 2/1/2010
Genevieve Williams

WOODBRAIN'S LIVE SHOW bears out what its Yellow Dog Records album Swimming
in Turpentine suggests: that the Portland-based group is a solid
blues-rock outfit with fine guitar and excellent harmonica. All four
members of the quartet (led by guitarist and vocalist Joe McMurian, who
formerly lent his name ti the ensemble) are accomplished musicians, but in
a low-key Northwestern way that means you might not notice unless you know
what to listen for.  Listen closely, though, and you'll hear an impressive
infrastructure holding up McMurrian's solid songwriting.

"Northbound" kicked the show off with a bang:  After an initial tickle of
fingerpicked guitar, the song picked up fast-driving beat, riff-fueled
guitar, and David Lipkind's exceptional harmonica.  The energy level
dropped during the second song due to monitor trouble, but Woodbrain
eventually settled into a steady groove.  The playlist consisted mostly of
songs from the new album, through particularly worth nothing was a
precisely rendered, articulate take on Blind Willie McTell's "Broke Down
Engine."  "Good Man" packed a solid punch and got members of the audience
dancing - often a difficult proposition with Seattle's reserved crowds.
Woodbrain isn't all about adrenaline, however, and the band's slower, more
reflective offerings, including the bittersweet "Home of My Own," lent
texture to the show.

The band's considerable musicianship and ear-catching songwriting offered
something for everyone, from the casual listener out for a few pints to
afficionados seeking songcraft beyond the conventional 12-bar blues.
Besides Lipkind's harmonica skills  (more than once I had to double-check
which instrument was making that sound), the four members of Woodbrain are
very, very good.  Jimi Bott (a new father of twins, McMurrian informed the
audience) has the deceptively light touch of a seasoned jazz drummer, but
he can rock out with the best of them, as he showed during a drum solo
near the end of the set.  On "Dig" in particular , bassist Jason Honl
executed the difficult trick of playing complex stuff without sounding as
though he was showing off.

The closing songs were the fast bouncy "Turpentine" and an extended, solo
-laden take on the classic "Last Fair Deal Gone Down."  The first punched
up the album's title track; the second made me wish it had been included
on Swimming in Turpentine.  May there be more fine music where this came
from.