#27 - Phil

Sleater-Kinney

The Woods

2005

2005 was one of my favorite years musically in the latter half of the decade. Artists like Fiona Apple, 50 Cent, and Wolf Parade were producing some seriously thought-provoking records for me to chew on during my sophomore year of college. But it was this hard-hitting feminist rock band from Washington that stood above them all, as Sleater-Kinney’s The Woods eventually became my favorite album of 2005.

Sleater-Kinney began in the early 90s with the group’s two constant members, Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein. As their fan base grew wider and wider, they were able to advance to bigger and bigger labels – culminated by this final album of theirs that was released by the legendary Sub Pop Records. On The Woods, Tucker and Brownstein work off each other’s vocal strengths brilliantly; Tucker handles the more climactic highs while Brownstein takes on the sharper and more pronounced lyrical spaces.

And did I also mention that this album absolutely rocks?! Tracks like “The Fox” and “Entertain” beat themselves into you so hard that you’ll be asking the ladies for a breather when they’re done. And occasionally they even give you one, such as one of my favorite songs on the record “Modern Girl,” a poetically-simple gem about what goes through the mind of a spoiled girl in a lifeless relationship: “My baby loves me, I’m so happy / Happy makes me a modern girl / Took my money and bought a TV / TV brings me closer to the world / My whole life… was like a picture of a sunny day.” If indeed this group never reunites, then this was the perfect album for them to go out with. Well done girls. -P.W.

I liked Sleater-Kinney but was never a huge fan of their records until I heard “The Woods.” The album has a deliberately low fidelity quality not found on their previous releases. To accompany this rougher sound Corin Tucker’s vocals are even edgier as she really belts and wails. My favorite song is probably “Rollercoaster,” which I think compares a relationship to an amusement park ride (that’s not all amusing). Overall this album is far heavier and angrier than their previous output and also far more inventive. I wish I could have seen Sleater-Kinney live before they broke up if only for the vocals. - Ryan

I first heard this album as it leaked a month or two before the final release date and it was one of my very first experiences with leaked music. So hearing this visceral blast, levels pumping in the red, I thought the record was still unfinished. I figured this distortion was too much for Sleater-Kinney and not intended for the final album. Haha, silly me. This is a blistering record containing some of Sleater-Kinney's best tunes alongside some of their finest performances, specifically Corin Tucker's vocal delivery. Few records rock harder. - Steve