Review Summary: QU is undeniably a Sherwood record both in quality and sound, but it's likely to have listeners wanting something a little closer to the band's potential.
Sherwood are one of the very few pop-rock bands in existence that are capable of producing an absolute masterpiece. Nate Henry's affecting, emotive vocals, Beach Boys-tinged harmonies and excellent piano-driven pop melodies make for a stellar list of components, and top-notch songwriting only bolsters that potential. The record that's within Sherwood's grasp is not the sort that would change the world, or even music, but it is fairly reasonable to suggest that it would be important to a huge number of people. Henry's elegant, simple imagery is evidently quotable, and though he often falls back on the same ideas, they twist frequently enough and with such freedom that it's difficult to deny the importance of his lyricism. The Californian band are so well equipped to put out something awe-inspiring, so as I'm listening to QU, I just keep asking myself one question: why am I not penning a 5/5 pop-rock review?
Opener Shelter suggests that something special is about to happen, an a capella introduction which blends heartwarming lyrical themes (welcome to the sun-soaked Sherwood atmosphere, for those who haven't had the pleasure before) with the ever-present sweet melodies we've grown accustomed to through 2005's Sing, But Keep Going and 2007's A Different Light. It's an endearing, effortless pre-cursor which hints at something big and bold to come. There's no pretense that the record will be Kid A all over again, or drastically alter the smooth powerchords, jangly piano and laid-back rhythm section that Sherwood are so good at, but it feels dramatic enough to suggest something grandiose.
Unfortunately, whilst enjoyable, upbeat, well-executed and catchy, what follows Shelter is also largely endearing and effortless. Tracks like What Are You Waiting For? are Sherwood by numbers without the usually phenomenal spin on things. The chorus hooks that the band craft so well are still present, if moderately more subtle (by no means a bad thing) and the instrumentation is consistently intriguing. As a matter of fact, very little of QU slides by unnoticed; only Around You is without considerable merit as a pop song, and every other cut stays on its feet excellently.
It's a shame, then, that QU is about as far from a classic album as a good record is likely to get; for all its merits, its atmospherics and its gentle experimentation (loosely defined), Sherwood's fourth album feels like A Different Light's little brother, copying everything its predecessor did so well, but sometimes being far too obvious about it to pass as genuine. Not Gonna Love's gang vocals are so forced it's one of the few awkward moments from three LPs; Sherwood have realised their strengths and, rather than letting their natural songwriting grow and expand in logical directions, they make a conscious decision to include nuances like the background vocals and the descending piano riff that underpins Not Gonna Love's latter stages, whilst excellent, sounds markedly less instinctive than the stabbed chords which opened Song In My Head.
QU houses another hefty dose of songs by Sherwood; whilst there are occasionally perfect passages (Worn is a beautiful duet featuring Molly Jenson, which sounds so heartbroken and still maintains that summer aesthetic thanks to its jangly guitars and cymbal flutters) and the music is more often than not striking, it occasionally lacks energy or simply anything good enough to set it apart from other genre efforts. Anybody who enjoyed A Different Light needs to pick it up; it's a worthy addition to Sherwood's back catalogue, and the standout moments are bright enough (if slightly less immediate) to exist proudly among tracks like Never Ready To Leave and The Best In Me. QU is undeniably a Sherwood record both in quality and sound, but it's likely to have listeners wanting something a little more
sublime.
