Reviews
"A fantastic indie-rock sound, with strong vocals and a catchy melody (the chorus in particular is fantastic). ..this song's a hit and I am certain it is going to garner a lot of traction." - Alfitude
“Great sounding here! Crazy energetic instrumental with high voltage vocalist that fit so good with the vibe” - Calabuth
"I really liked the intro, that mix of dirty guitars and electronica is still very rarely done. For a minute I thought The Dandy Warhols had sent us something new...It's an amazing song, an amazing sound" - Yack Magazine
“A crisp indie rock an garage rocker with some cool bluesy influence and grit to it.” -WeAllWantSomeoneToShoutFor
“What I'm In Need Of is a rocker of a track that balances riffing guitars with buzzy synth leads , super strong lead vocals with tight backing vocals and dynamic live kit drumming ! Props are due!" - MusicOnTheMoon
“Hell yes! There was not a doubt this was a fit from the opening note. Cool, straightforward rock track with some really interesting breaks. Great fit for the Rock Stars playlist. Thanks for sending it in. This will pop up on my songs to add once your release date hits" - Dylan Koski
"Loved the energy and how the song naturally build. Great work! I believe you have a good production and mix. The build is good and you have breaks to help the listener rest. Congratulations!" - Acqustic
“I love the sound of the guitars and the vocal tone. Very rock n' roll! Love the energy!” -RockThePigeonMusicBlog
Press
“Woodward takes 1st place in this year's Great Lakes Songwriting Contest with "Switch Hit Resistor"!” - Great Lakes Song Writing Contest
"There's only four guys, and it sounds like there's twelve!" - Mitch Albom
"You'd never guess...that the band Woodward is from Detroit, not from across the Atlantic. With its slick new-wave touches and harmonized reaching vocals, I'd suggest they get with Zane Lowe...it's got BBC written all over it." - Jeffrey Geoffrey
“These guys have gathered plenty of steam since performing at the SXSW music festival in Austin and they’re constantly adding new listeners to their already die-hard fan base...It’s a fine line between pop and rock, not too heavy and catchy as all hell. The vocals are stronger and the riffs are a notch harder, but nothing that would make Granny’s ear to bleed." -Lan Pitts
"Woodward stands for the type of Rock N Roll that has been missing from the popular scene since Grunge exploded out of Seattle almost twenty years ago..." - Wildy - Wildy's World
“The story of the video is a party which goes so well that it actually distorts reality. Key players include Jesus, Marilyn Monroe, Santa Claus and Millard Filmore (13th president of the United States).” - PAM FLEMING - Observer & Eccentric
Shotgun Reviews
Released two years ago, Woodward’s debut album …But Your Kids Are Gonna Love It has garnered the band some heavy momentum. At first, it’s part Keane with some lyrics that remind me of Collective Soul, but with an upbeat tempo. I can appreciate bands that incorporate keyboard players or pianists, and Steve Hull from Woodward is no exception. He adds a hint of swing and old time rock along with the cords which work fantastic together (listen to the track “Did I?” to know what I mean). By the end of the album, you can really hear the 90’s influence, sort of Spin Doctors but melodic like The Killers. “Fly High” has even a bit of techno, in the intro but fades into the rest of the instruments. Also in that track, J. P. Zammit’s guitar skills really soar, and is probably my favorite on that album.
Now, like I mentioned, it’s been two years since their debut and they have released three new tracks, and it sounds completely different. Almost reminds me of The Pink Spiders, especially with the track “Switch Hit Resistor”. It’s a fine line between pop and rock, not too heavy and catchy as all hell. The vocals are stronger and the riffs are a notch harder, but nothing that would make Granny’s ear to bleed. “Footski” is something that reminds me of Everclear and Panic at the Disco having a jam session. Perky would be the word I would use to describe that tune. The final track of their new releases in “Love Heart”. Again, Zammit really shines here with the guitar solo at the near end that’s full of old-time rock, but probably not my favorite song lyrically speaking. These guys have gathered plenty of steam since performing at the SXSW music festival in Austin and they’re constantly adding new listeners to their already die-hard fan base.
Wildy's World
Woodward – Switch Hit Resistor/Footski/Love Heart
In April of last year we reviewed Woodward’s full-length debut, …But Your Kids Are Gonna Love It, with raving words and manic glee. The album came in at #3 on Wildy’s World’s Top 40 Albums. The band will release three new singles through iTunes and other download services. Switch Hit Resistor, Footski and Love Heart represent a growth in sound and style for Woodward, beginning with the retro/modern classic rock sound Detroit’s Fab Four propagated on their debut, Woodward has taken a more linear, melodic approach to songwriting this time around. The result is consistent in style, but perhaps just a bit more refined than in the past. Where modal triad harmonies in the classic, arena rock style were the rule before, now they are a bit more complex and developed in conjunction with an expressive harmony line. It’s almost as if Woodward took their old sound and blended in just a touch of 1980’s New Wave aesthetic to find a sound that is viably modern while staying true enough to their roots to please long time fans.
Switch Hit Resistor is perhaps the closest to the old material, although the synth lends that New Wave feel to the song. Footski sounds a bit like Elvis Costello recording with Queen, and sounds like a potential summer hit. This is the sort of song you hear driving in your car and crank the volume up as loud as it will go. The pop sensibilities that Woodward showed on their debut have not deserted the lads. Love Heart is a bit more introspective that anything you might have heard from Woodward before; I wasn’t sure about this one on first listen, but as I’ve listened to it more and more I really like it. Love Heart is subtly and intelligently written and has a chorus that just won’t get out of your head.
So times are changing. Woodward shows distinct growth on their new singles without sacrificing the essential character or sound that has enchanted fans to date. If anything, the artistic and sonic growth is going to make Woodward a lot of new friends. Woodward stands for the type of Rock N Roll that has been missing from the popular scene since Grunge exploded out of Seattle almost twenty years ago. Bands like The Killers and The Fray have tried to resurrect melodic, retro/modern classic rock with varying degrees of success, but no one in the mainstream has done it as well or as emphatically as Woodward. Make sure you check out their new singles, Switch Hit Resistor, Footski and Love Heart when they become available later this month.
Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)
Woodward – But Your Kids Are Gonna Love It
If there were ever a band destined for super-stardom, it’s Detroit, Michigan based
Woodward. I’m not talking about MTV and top-40. I’m talking about selling out Wembley
Stadium or Yankee Stadium or even Maracana stadium; several nights in a row. I don’t
mean to be overly effusive with my praise for Woodward, but if ever there were a perfect
package in the rock world it might be called But Your Kids Are Gonna Love It. Drawing on
sonic influences that transcend the 1970s and 1980s FM Rock genre, Woodward has built
a modern sound that is equally welcoming to young rock fans and their parents (perhaps
even young grandparents).
This is a quintessential rock and roll album. Starting out with “All Over (Washed Out)”,
Woodward leads off sounding like Billy Joel singing with the Ramones. The fun isn’t over
there. “Find The Words” sounds like it might have been lifted from an early Queen album.
I actually found myself returning to the Queen reference several times throughout the
album. What makes this album such a treat is that even when Woodward sounds like
someone else, they are distinctively themselves.
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“Find The Words” is easily my favorite track here, but there isn’t a weak track here. “Did
I?”, “Take It Back”, “Days You Come From” and “Far From Home” are all outstanding.
This CD actually got loaded to my iPod and has been on near-continuous play at work for
the last three days. It’s that good.
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Woodward delivers a set of hook-heavy modern retro-rock songs that are a sonic
pleasure. The songwriting is top-notch, the vocals are perfectly fit to the songs, and the
harmonies stand up with the likes of Queen or Styx. Add to all of this Woodward’s
reputation for electrifying live shows and you know that these guys are going
somewhere. Don’t be surprised if a few years from now theirs is the concert ticket you
can’t buy anywhere but on eBay. But Your Kids Are Gonna Love It gets my highest
rating, and then some.
“Woodward is probably the best rock act to come out Motown in the last ten years. For fans of
retro-sounding rock, this may just be the be-all, end-all rock album of the year. ...But Your Kids Are
Gonna Love It will play as well to teens as to their parents (and sometimes even grandparents!)
This is one of those albums you'll buy and still be listening to it ten years later. A must!”
-Wildy Haskell, Wildys World
Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)
Press photos
