:: The Woods Themselves - (C’mon) Do The Beach Thing

The Woods Themselves

In ‘(C’mon) Do The Beach Thing’, vocalist Davey Cotsios croons “This is not a scene, we don’t exist” – a statement which almost rings true because up until this sophomore release only a select few die-hard fans knew The Woods Themselves even had a debut. Although Cotsios initially hit the Sydney folk circuit as a singer-songwriter, it didn’t take long before his extraterrestrial endeavour attracted the attention of current members Kid Cornered, Joseph Leonard, Kurtis Ousley and AFX Jim who in 2004 put their heads and hearts together to come up with The Woods Themselves. While their first self-titled album attracted favourable reviews and earned the band something of a cult following, with a bit of luck and the right exposure ‘(C’mon) Do The Beach Thing’ will be just what the band need to put an end to their obscure status. Put simply, it would be a shame otherwise – Cotsios’ soft purr makes him not-too-far-removed from Pete Murray vocally, while musically the album would make for a perfect summer soundtrack amidst the beer cans and barbecues. And it’s no surprise the word ‘rich’ springs to mind time and time again as this album unravels – Cotsios and co. give just about everything from saxophone, trumpet, piano, organ and violin to loops a good old go. The ending result is haunting, dreamy and full of pretty atmospherics giving the listener an impression the record altogether comes from another time. Overall, The Woods Themselves’ second full-length is a kaleidoscopic swirl of soothing vocals, lingering guitars and pitta-patta drums that make up such songs as Peach’s Pit and Groovewind. Having said that, long-time fans can rest assured this ain’t no Jack Johnson – The Woods Themselves are still one very dark horse indeed.