Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice: The Flood (Troubleman Unlimited)
released: ?? ?? 2005
rating: *
similar: CocoRosie, Devendra Banhart

Wooden Wand (with or without the Vanishing Voice) has already issued several noteworthy works amongst a bombardment of recordings from the past two years. The Flood is not one of them. It doesn't help when the first two tracks are over 10 minutes. By the fourth track we at least get something that works and doesn't sound like they're trying too hard to be creative, even if it's just over two minutes. Sure, maybe if you just smoked some good weed, their experimental folk is "trance-like." Otherwise, there's a lot of straining vocals and guitars that are too unmelodic to be considered music or even interesting, making much of this as irritating as a Dunkin Donuts opening across the street from a 7-11. -Kenyon