Our love and admiration for Alexander Carson started with the Wooden Arms project five years ago. Imagine the honor it is for us to premiere, today, a song from Wooden Arms, to celebrate the 5 year anniversary of their first record Tide.
The piano stars it all in Pillar Of Salt. But soon after we can hear all the gorgeously typical Wooden Arms strings. When Alexander Carson vocals come in – with those subtle, sensitive but essential female back vocals – we easily acknowledge the high paced story-telling feel of the track.
The variation around 2.40 is classical but unexpected. It serves as a moment to breathe, to think, to let the soul go out of the body. During a bit more than one minute Pillar of Salt sounds distinct. That minute is essential for the song to feel as powerful as it does. When the pace comes back in we feel it again. Even more intense, filled with meaning as it is filled with an instrumental overflow. It is incredible how a song that talks about feelings of displacement and a lack of a home, can feel so much like a home. And so capable of connecting one with its true self. When we say music is magical, we are actually saying the ones who do it are magicians. And Wooden Arms surely are a group of wonders.
Wooden Arms have been on hiatus for two years with lead singer and songwriter Alexander Carson releasing his first solo LP entitled Ellipsism. Alexander got to play some songs from the LP in some European countries (including three small intimate shows in Portugal – including our own WtMM Balcony Show). Wooden Arms are now back together and working on a new record. Pillar Of Salt was recorded before the hiatus started and works as the perfect bridge on how their upcoming songs will be a combination of the piano-based indie-folk from Carson solo work and Wooden Arms old sonority.
The band’s special reunion will materialize in 2 special one-off shows in London and Norwich. For all UK-based out there, you should not miss these:
September 19th – London – St Pancras Old Church
November 29th – Norwich – Bermuda Bob’s