Exclusive Album Stream: The Smallgoods – Lost in the Woods

It’s been almost 15 years since The Smallgoods dropped their last album, but with Lost in the Woods scheduled to hit Friday, we were fortunate enough to snag an early listen to the record for you. When we first brought you news of the band’s forthcoming LP, we said that the band aimed to drop bold pop rock, railing against a stale musical climate! While I love the record’s opener, I think a great way to sample the goods from this album is to jump to track two, “Where’ve You Been All This Time;” I’ll go out on a limb here and say this sounds like Dear Catastrophe Waitress era Belle and Sebastian, swelling with arranged sounds and striking power. But, things aren’t always full of bombast; I’m totally in love with “Satellite;” it feels like the perfect pop song and thus I dare you to find a better one to have on repeat today. Shit, now I can’t stop pressing play on “A Month of Sundays;” this record is filled with twists and turns, each equally rewarding. Just imagine yourself on a scavenger hunt of every great pop sound in the last 30 years, but instead of tripping over 30 years of songs, you’ve got the only 10 tunes you’ll need today! Lost in the Woods drops Friday via Lost and Lonesome.

Last Week’s Jams, Today!

Ray and I go back to work full-time, kids and all, so let’s start off our first real week of work with last week’s sweet sweet jams. It’s just an easy way to ease into your Monday with a look back at what you might have missed had you not been glued to our site! We’re all over the place with new stuff from Suuns and the Shivas, plus some Austin love as always by including the latest from TC Superstar, Nolan Potter, Brother Sports and a tune off the new Alexalone LP…so browse, enjoy, tell your friends. Or don’t. Who needs that pressure on Monday?

The Smallgoods Schedule Lost in the Woods

It’s been a long time coming, but we finally have a released date for the long-awaited new LP from The Smallgoods. Having mostly been quiet, at least as a collective unit, for the last 14 years or so, the band wanted to pick up where they left off with 2007’s Down on the Farm. According to Gus Franklin, the idea then and now was to rail against the staleness of the musical climate, crafting huge bold pop music with just a little quirks; they even went so far as to reference the Muppets. Here, you get that blast of pop, with layers of vocals and bounce thrown on top of extra layers of pop; it’s like building a fort out of pop blankets where you can hide out with all your friends. The band are set to release Lost in the Woods on September 24th via Lost and Lonesome.

The Smallgoods Share Satellite Video

Sometimes a song is just too good to skip by, and if you’ve covered that song, shouldn’t you feel obliged to cover the video version? No? Well, this single from the Smallgoods is one of my favorite tracks of this year, and this video is pretty special. It begins with two explorer types, lost in the wilderness, frustrated with one another. That is until they see a satellite or star drop from the sky, dropping them knowledge via geometrical laser work. They awaken to find food and booze, and exuberance takes over; I love the go-to stick antlers move. Lost in the Woods will be out sometime in June on Lost and Lonesome (seems like the perfect home, eh?).

The Smallgoods Announce Lost in the Woods

It looks as if the Smallgoods were not calling it quits, they were merely on a hiatus, and now, seven years later, that has come to an end; the band just announced their return and a new album to come this June. It’s been about a dozen years since their last proper release, and they’re still writing these soaring pop tracks that seemingly survive on melody alone. Don’t get me wrong, the sonic texture is bright and meaningful, but the slight tonal changes that rise and fall are pure bliss; it’s like the best indiepop and power-pop mash-up you never knew you needed…one might even call it the twee Nada Surf (and I mean that respectfully). Lost in the Woods will be released in June via Lost and Lonesome.