Review by David Serra
The most produced of her records, Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars' self-titled record maintains that minimal style inherent in Doiron's previous releases. Wooden Stars are the perfect band to work with Julie Dorion. Both capture the sense of the other, blending wonderfully. Most of the tunes are straight-ahead rock with keyboards and vocals accenting the bass and drums. A charm exists in the play between the vocals and the music, where it seems the songs may fall apart at times. These moments are usually backed up with total fixed aim on the next track. "The Best Thing for Me" is a faster metered song with a direct approach. Doiron's vocals have matured with a deeper power and fun play with harmony. The syncopated syllables are still intact, giving an emphasis to the psychology of the lyrics. One can tell that these songs were written on guitar. Drums are used correctly in this case, accenting the beautiful guitar style. Guitar melodies and solos blend nicely with ending jams, leaving the listener in the air with the twinkling tones. "Sweeter" is the closing track that has been reworked from Loneliest in the Morning. The male vocals are more present, adding a sense of longing. In the face of a more produced, upbeat record, a sadness underlies all of the tracks, making this record very successful, deserving of the 2000 Canadian Juno Award.
Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars
Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars
[Tree]
Rating: 6.8
"Anyone is pretty when she smiles; me, I'm only pretty when I cry," sings Julie Doiron on her new album. And I'll be damned if you don't just want to hold her, and maybe spend the whole day curled up under a blanket with her, staring out the window at the grey Canadian winter. A solid dose of comforting, resolute melancholy can be good for the soul sometimes, and despite being the most upbeat album of Doiron's musical oeuvre (thanks in part to having a real backing band this time out), Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars still delivers the 100% RDA.
Like Bettie Serveert's Carol van Dijk without the sunny smiles, Beth Orton without the reverb chamber and the Chemical Brothers connection, or Jenny Toomey on Xanax, Doiron has a natural ache in her voice that manages to sidestep both wistful whimsy and wretched despair. Her previous solo work seemed to be a bit too stark and four-tracky to distinguish itself from the rest of the already-saturated mope-rock market; here, she teams up with fellow Canadians the Wooden Stars to create a much warmer, more fully developed sound which supports her vocal timbre a bit better. There are still plenty of beautiful downbeat moments, like "The Longest Winter" ("Not even the prank calls/ Are helping pass the time anymore") or "Seven." But it's also surprisingly pleasant to hear Doiron fit herself into slightly different clothes, such as on the perky, almost Cardigans-like "Dance Music" and the stiff, insistent bounce of "The Best Thing for Me."
Although eleven songs and 42 minutes long, Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars still seems a bit slight. Maybe it's because it's a rather easy, effortless listen, albeit something you'd only put in your stereo once in a while. But like hot chocolate on a cold night, it has its proper time and place.
-Nick Mirov
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