His 2015 album Making Time is his best record, each track has its own steady pace, sophisticated beat and satisfying bursts of jazzy brass and guitar with his smooth vocal lines pulling everything together. This formula works very well in tracks like Message and Celebration. Other tracks radiate a more funky/R&B vibe (where he says his roots are), like 'Sharpness' which reminds me of a more mellow Jungle. The track Movement really identifies Woon as a new artist, testing the limits of blending electronic sounds and bass with the voice. This track and the bare vocal opening to Skin also remind me of James Blake, experimental though perhaps a bit more laid-back. Woon's voice is rather underrated in this album, personally I welcome the rare appearance of his simple, but effective, vocal tone - I'd be interested to see him explore this in future work.
One of the main attractions of this album for me is that each track has its own idea and own sound, something taken for granted but barely actually delivered in many albums I listen to today. More and more artists only care about the success of a few songs from an album for it to sell, but you can tell that Woon has put effort into giving each track its own musical value to make an overall more impressive album. I wouldn't say that the music is particularly striking or thought-provoking, Woon isn't necessarily a game-changer for new artists; however listening to him while studying is a pleasure, he creates a good-sounding pace to work to with no surprises to come along and slap you out of focus, I appreciate the bursts of jazz/funk/electronic/R&B vibes he adds to keep each song fresh. https://open.spotify.com/album/1piHywE1K1xbS3fTTVrdBC
12.01.16
