The first note hits you. Like an electroshock, singer Gordie Muscutts voice warns you that Woke Up Falling has changed. Its been nearly four years since the release of their debut, Dividing Blue from Blue, a dreamy-goth pop effort that deservedly garnered them attention from indie press and led to a respectable buzz in their hometown of Portland, OR and abroad.
After three US tours for DBFB, WUF set out to record an album that would contain the depths of their collective, complex (and slightly insane) psyche. The result is their self-titled second full-length album.
The music is more intricate, gutsy and intense. Its the sound of a band maturing and still pushing themselves: musically, personally and emotionally. You feel this album, in the melodies that guitarist Zak Martin weaves in and out - lifting and pulling each track; in the edge-of-control drumming of Josh Hill; in the visceral scream of Muscutts voice: a voice telling painfully honest tales of death , drugs and the struggle to keep faith. String arrangements and piano are interspersed throughout the record, adding a lushness to the bands powerful sound.
Since forming in late 2000, Woke Up Falling have been hard at work, touring non-stop through hundreds of cities, releasing two full-length records and an EP. Their latest self-titled effort is all of that experience and hard work poured into 11 amazing songs. It certainly makes you wonder why you may not have heard this before...
