As Jay told our curating-editor during the early development of the album process, the crafting of this record was partially inspired by the aesthetic experimentation and dark harmonies of the 2014 film Frank; spectacularly, Woodward fulfills the same level of thought and heart in his second album as the film, even going further with his standard level of warmth and genuine passion captured in everything the Woodward name graces.
His "ode to sorrow" comes together with culturally dynamic atmospherics, composed of well-envisioned aural landscapes paralleling that of the pained sentiments. From his most esoteric tracks to the more straightforward and subdued songs reminiscent of 90's alternative acoustic ballads (The Falling Leaves & Gone), the album carries a cryptic yet universal stream-of-consciousness journey--which Woodward has so intricately weaved together through an intimate allegorical directness.
Artfully produced, the album's auditory arc remains authentic as it evokes emotional overtones of lyrical and aesthetic brilliance. As mournful melancholy follows the listener from start to finish, the stages of grief develop and pass with an ebb and flow of tense, soulful aches and persevering strength. Jay Woodward incredibly tames the experimental and instinctive, and domesticates it into a well-constructed, innovative discourse of folk-dependent therapy.
Be sure to stream and buy yourself a copy of Good Grief via Jay Woodward's official site here.