The Social Smokers Club have released their debut album, The Woods. A rock album at its heart, The Woods has a strong vein of early-to-mid 90s grunge and alternative that bleeds through, creating what the band describe as “Woods Rock.”
Rooted in Prospect, Nova Scotia, the band formed in 2016. Picking away at each of the album’s songs over the last three years, they have produced a collection with varied sound and feel on each track. Although it has a non-uniform presentation, there is a unique atmosphere in each song. This helps to make the trek through The Woods more interesting as they change up the scenery.
The album begins with two of their previously released songs: “Speak into the Dark” a gritty, and emotional rock inspiration, and “Bards With Beards”, which displays influence from the early grunge movement.
Each of those songs offer a narrow view of the expansive capabilities the band have displayed on the full album.
The third track, “Waiting for the Bears” is more bubbly and up-beat. Presented against a rainfall backdrop with intriguing and drawn-out lyrics, it maintains a mellow mood found across the release.
Each song is a tale of woe. A peek at the internal struggles people deal with each day, and what lies beneath the faces they try to hold high — the very faces each of us see in our daily lives. They pay homage to the unfortunate ones, and perhaps call for more understanding.
They have an ability to emulate sounds from across the 90s and blend them into a piece of art, giving it a sense of timelessness. This album is very likely to appeal to anyone that grew up through the 90s or early 2000s.
Social Smokers Club have put on display a long list of inspirations in their first album. It’s difficult at first to decipher what form a song will take as you experience it. This sets the listener up for an exciting ride into new territory. Calling their sound “Woods Rock” may not fully capture their river-like meandering tendencies, but it accurately depicts the wild ride of various soundscapes to be experienced.
What ties it together is not so much a common sound as it is a collection of subconscious journeys. Tales of those who suffer from anxiety and depression. Those who deal with trauma, and bear the scars. Those with dark secrets interfering with their lives. Those who have been misguided, and lost their way.