Jubilee

Saskatoon, Canada’s Deep Dark Woods occasionally reference fellow Canadian Neil Young in their latest songs, intentionally and inadvertently. “Miles and Miles”—the opening track on Jubilee, the band's fifth album—captures Young’s vibe with its moderate gait, grungy guitars, and high-pitched, aching vocals. But “18th of December” goes further to convey a sense of doomed fate, borrowing the melody of Young’s “Captain Kennedy” (unless the group is borrowing it from the 1927 folk ballad “My Name Is John Johanna,” which appeared on Harry Smith’s landmark Anthology of American Folk Music). Flashes of Townes Van Zandt fronting The Band occur during “Red, Red Rose.” But these influences are likely inevitable, happy accidents that happen when a band mines similar territory. But unlike many roots groups, The Deep Dark Woods emphasize a sense of modernity that informs songs such as “Gonna Have a Jubilee,” “I Took to Whoring,” and “Bourbon Street” with a golden touch that’s all their own and clearly the work of a band operating in 2013. Impressive.