On his follow-up to 2014 debut Broken Man, Wood calls in a few favours, covering his tunes with shades of fiddle and mandolin (Dave Khan), lap-steel, slide and dark electric guitar, as well as sumptuous harmonies (Reb Fountain).
At times it's gloriously messy (Drown, Drown, Drown); elsewhere, the stripped-back approach of New York and For The Old Man allows Woods' lyrical phrasing to take the listener to places far away and familiar.
• Will Wood. Mapgpie Brain & Other Stories. Lyttelton Records.
• Three stars (out of five)
Single download: Cage
For those who like: Delaney Davidson
- Shane Gilchrist
