Eric Schwierske
Woodrow (from left): Marc Brousseau, Connor Brennan, Connor Peterson, Nate Klopotic.
Somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle between Ben Folds, fun. and Barenaked Ladies, there’s a beach where Connor Brennan and his band Woodrow are throwing a party. Brennan founded the group a year ago, after he dropped out of UW-Madison’s medical physics Ph.D. program. Now the band releases its second EP Buds & Thorns Sept. 29 at High Noon Saloon — with early streaming available right here.
Woodrow isn’t a band that takes itself too seriously. Their piano-driven pop tunes incorporate whimsical and snarky lyrics, employing musical flourishes that span genres. The members of the band, who self-describe as “goofy,” make a point of performing in matching bleached denim.
But a devoted ethic underlies Woodrow’s jocular presentation. Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brennan and guitarist Marc Brousseau are longtime musicians, and drummer Andrew Klunick and bassist Nate Klopotic were both conscripted from the UW-Madison Marching Band.Woodrow released a debut EP, José, in June, and has since added Kevin Gale to play keyboard full time. The group’s follow-up shows at the High Noon Saloon, SCONNIEBAR and the Wisco — and a robust social media campaign — netted them “Best New Band” in Isthmus’ recent MadFaves poll.José demonstrated how the group was indebted to Madison’s weirder acts, like the German Art Students and Cribshitter, but Woodrow works from a glossier, pop palette. José’s five tracks are mirror-polished, beginning with an instrumental synth-pop number and closing with a polarizing amount of autotune. Though José was an impressive first release, the EP winds through different genre conventions with each track — showing what the band could do, but not who they are.
Despite landing just a few months after the band’s debut, Buds & Thorns is a more mature release. The five new songs still offer variety — especially the rockabilly “Jumpin’ Bail” and the very Edgar Winter-esque instrumental “Emme” — but are all firmly grounded in rock traditions, providing a clearer glimpse of the band’s intentions.
The EP launches with its best track, “Headlights,” a jukebox rock ballad about a toxic relationship. Rolling tom fills and pulsing piano chords carry the tune to the staccato stops at the pre-chorus with raucous energy.
“I’ve got a weak spot for tears,” Brennan sings, “and she’s got a weak spot for me.”
“Toss & Turn” follows, a duet with Chicago vocalist Ashley Foreman that remains upbeat until it crescendos in a harmonized appeal: “Don’t shit where you eat,” Foreman and Brennan belt at the song’s peak. And then they repeat it. It will probably get more mileage at a beer-soaked pub than on a sterile recording, but it’s a bold choice, emblematic of Woodrow’s irreverent aesthetic.
The closer, “Hard Line,” is another standout. Boy-loses-girl piano ballads are a shallow well, but they’re where Woodrow feels most at home. Buds & Thorns shows that Woodrow knows how make a great pop song — the next test is to see if they can use those same sensibilities to explore topics beyond relationships gone bad.
