Woodwose rehearsing
This day sees the arrival of Woodwose’s first album, a set of eight songs of underground rock sorcery by Gillian Chadwick (of Ex Reverie) and Jessica Weeks (from Magus).
ELVERSON, PA, UNITED STATES, July 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Initially captured in 2007, Woodwose bided its time until the stars realigned—an event triggered by the revival of the underground folk/rock imprint Language of Stone. Armed with the label’s support, Chadwick and Weeks removed the dust from their master recordings and readied this two-decade-old project for public consumption: eight tracks filled with spellbinding lyrics, piercing guitar lines, sparkling yet sorrowful keyboard work, and dual vocal harmonies.
The Singles
Serving as potent microcosms of the full record, the driving track “Younger Animals” and the intricate, layered composition “Three Pines” offer a window into the group’s reflective character, their use of symbolism in lyrics, and their alternately sweet and fierce sonic palette.
Woodwose – Track Listing
A-Side
Woodwose Theme
Younger Animals
House of Helix
Fawn Incantation
B-Side
Amethyst
Three Pines
At the Swimming Hole
Grey Tide
Captured in 2007 by Greg Weeks at Hexham Head in Philadelphia, Woodwose marks the fourteenth offering from Language of Stone. With mastering by Alex Abrash, the record comfortably occupies a space between gothic rock, heavy rock, acid folk, and 1970s singer-songwriter traditions.
Originating from Philadelphia’s early-2000s experimental and acid-folk revival underground, Woodwose does not sit neatly within that scene—or any musical era, past or present. Though their music might be called primitive (in the sense of ancient, not lacking skill), their folk-horror style rubs against a pop awareness that defies easy categorization in either camp. The outcome is an utterly singular sonic experience that seeps into the listener’s being like venom from a bewitchingly tasty apple.
The tracks on Woodwose emerge slowly, as if through an IV drip overseen by a doctor under the influence of Mandrax. The mournful and menacing “Fawn Incantation” and “Grey Tide” clearly reveal an affinity for Black Sabbath, while the more upbeat selections—an admittedly relative description—contain progressive flourishes reminiscent of Van der Graaf Generator and Jethro Tull. Notably, the flute plays a crucial role alongside the core electric duo of guitar and Fender Rhodes, providing the weight that underpins all eight solid compositions.
Those familiar with the two musicians will find none of this unexpected. Guitarist and vocalist Gillian Chadwick serves as the creative engine behind Ex Reverie, a driving prog-rock band whose upcoming third album is set to raise the bar in both style and intensity. Meanwhile, the subdued unease she generates alongside Sharron Kraus as part of Rusalnaia supplies the other half of the Woodwose template: an even blend of darkness and brightness, roughness and gentleness, enigma and directness.
Keyboardist, flautist, and vocalist Jessica Weeks developed comparable sensibilities as a key member of The Valerie Project, a ten-person group that created and performed a live alternate score for the Czech New Wave folk-horror film Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. Together, Chadwick and Weeks pull from a rich musical history to craft a new work that resists simple categorization. Their intertwining vocals climb and glide, guitars jab and arpeggiate, keyboards rumble and swoon as the raw beast of Woodwose’s first full-length rises to its feet, poised to enter the world.
Jessica Weeks
Language of Stone
+1 484-477-8424
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Instagram
Other
