Penguin Eggs

Like the name of the band and the album title, there’s something elemental about the music of Saskatoon’s The Deep Dark Woods, something that bespeaks the influence of geography and climate, something from the soil. There’s a lovely ageless quality to Winter Hours that abides in the intertwining of four voices, the patient shuffle and strum of a prairie ballad and the carefully layering carried off by deft multi-instrumentalists—among them ubiquitous producer/multi-frettist Steve Dawson. The band has nailed down a distinctive sound with confining themselves to a particular style, the dozen songs touching on acoustic balladry, gentle ‘60s style country rock and the occasional up-tempo barn-burner. Lovely though it is, the album nonetheless turns on the roots-music staple of hard times, as on album stand-outs like All the Money I had is Gone and Two Time Loser. Deep is the right word for what’s happening on this recording, and I have no doubt I’ll still be delving into this album long after winter hours are over
– By Scott Lingley