New Jersey’s The Amboys have an alternative country sound that can lead anyone to move their feet and dance around. Their Led Into The Woods EP has sexual undertones mixed in with hooky guitar and bass grooves, moving key arrangements and mind-blowing horns. It doesn’t hurt that C.M. Smith’s heavy country-styled voice is versatile and can both pass for warm and romantic as well as cold and chilling.
The opening track, “Ashley Meets The Wolf,” is dark and romantic—like in a creepy stalker sense. The narrative presumably tells the story of a wolf who is obsessed with a woman that it has yet to meet. Following the opening tune, “Worrisome” leans on the uplifting side and drags out the sexual tension of the album. The community vocal performance towards the end of the song really adds to the bar style vibe.
“Trees” has a chill feel and has more of a spiritual and close to nature motif to it. The funky bass groove and keys adds to the charm that the fourth track brings to the EP. Led Into The Woods makes a quick sound change for “Last Song Of The Night,” which contributes a funky Latin groove to the release to keep listeners on their toes and moving. The final piece of the disc, “In The Woods,” ended up being my favorite. The combination of the nature sounds in the beginning, the arrangement and Smith’s vocals makes “In The Woods” the most breathtaking tune on the release.
In A Word: Dynamic
