by Spencer vH
One of Portland's most prolific outfits, weirdo trio Woolen Men have largely zigged where others have chosen to zag. Shape and sound shifting album to album, constants remain while the band are never afraid to explore. Human to Human is of two halves - a laidback, grooving and yeah, i'll say it, sexy set of songs with the band's usual frantic, springy sounds still present too.
Record lead “Mexico City Blues” is a methodical and steady post-punk track that instrumentally could fit on an Ought or Protomartyr record, but when matched with drummer and vocalist Raf Spielman's distinct and even more distinct drawn out melodies, it gains a looseness and joy that some post-punk is severely lacking. The other longer cut in the first half, “Ecstasy of an Ant,” is the grooviest track the band has ever produced to date, with a devastatingly smooth bass line, heavily effected guitars, and some of the band's best drumming. Another track where it simply can't be understated that Spielman's voice is the fourth instrument in the band, his choice of melodies and even his voice dropping and straining, all create tension and release, establishing balance in this highlight on the album.
The second half of the record retreats to the trio's bread-and-butter sounds. Cranking up the BPM and tightening up makes songs like "In The Corner" and "K-Punk" so successful, still leaving room for groove but with some refreshing distortion and crashing cymbals after the lightness of the longer tracks. Every time you listen to the Woolen Men, you want to individually compliment certain members contributions to the song or album, but in reality you have a trio so in sync that it's truly difficult to give any lion's share of the credit to any individual in such a cohesive unit. The band's highly technical bass playing only lands so successfully because the guitar gives it so much space to move while still giving space and creating the shape of the songs - all with the assistance of such tight drum work, often with the assistance of auxiliary percussion.
The album ends with another track unusual to Woolen Men's back catalog, as "Crash" ditches the drum set entirely in place for waves of harmonious synthesizer and soft vocals. Once the song drifts to a close, it's a pretty wild feeling to look back and think about the musical journey you just went on over the course of a single album. When one of music's most underrated trios are firing on all cylinders and aren't afraid to push themselves to their limits, albums like Human to Human rarely happen - but we should be thankful when they do.