The name of Joolie Wood will perhaps mostly ring a bell to people who followed David Tibet’s Current 93 a bit. Wood, a multi-instrumentalist born in Montreal but now residing in the UK, also contributed her services to various other artists, mainly in folk and avantgarde circles. Now she is working on a solo career, of which this EP is the first tangible result.
Tales of Colour and White was obtained by me a few days ago at the Chantier Festival in Paris, where Joolie performed a charming short set. Various artists playing at the festival also contribute to this mini cd: Simon Finn, Maja Elliott, Baby Dee and the omnipresent Karl Blake. All familiar names in circles around Current 93, Sol Invictus and related acts.
The cd contains four rather short songs, situated in style somewhere between acoustic folk and neo-classical music. The first song ‘Jewel song’ is a moody instrumental piece created by Joolie herself, using a rich spectrum of samples, harp, organ, melodica and violin. The other songs feature her vocals and a varying number of guest musicians. The EP starts soft and minimal, and gets more dynamic and fuller in sound towards the end, culminating in ‘Melt with the snow’ which has Karl Blake on ‘very electric guitar’ and Baby Dee on harp.
Tales of Colour and White is simply pleasant to listen to, with an intimate, fragile character and melancholic tranquil songs. My favourite piece is the moving ‘You own the universe’. Wood is a gifted musican and a decent singer with a soft, warm voice. A full album by her is expected soon, which should be something to look out for.
