Eugene Weekly
July 16, 2009
I have a new theory: All you really need in life is a beautiful voice and a banjo. Alexa Woodward has both, and as she’s leaving behind her law career for music, her rise to fame should be as meteoric as that of Vienna Teng — who gave up her software engineering career for piano pop — if the universe has any sense of justice.
Woodward is touring the country in a 1984 Westfalia to support her new, sophomore CD, Speck. There’s something totally disarming about the way Woodward sings, with a roundness to her voice that plainly bears the mark of a Southern upbringing. But unlike delicate chanteuse Gillian Welch’s sepia-toned obsession with a bygone era, you don’t get the sense that Woodward needs a vintage dress to create authenticity.
She surrounds her voice with plucky banjo, singing saw and wistful mandolin, which give her songs a gothic quality, as on “Spoon,” a song with lyrics as cryptic as those of Joanna Newsom. But to Woodward’s credit, her music is nowhere near as indulgent. For all the spare arrangements and spacious melodies, it’s her voice that takes the stage.
Woodward played at this year’s Country Fair, and if you happened to catch her enchanting voice and want more — or missed out — you’ve got a couple more chances to see her in person. She is also making an appearance this weekend at the Saturday Market. Brian Cutean and Alexa Woodward play at 8:30 pm Sunday, July 19, at Sam Bond’s. 21+. $5. — Vanessa Salvia
http://eugeneweekly.com/2009/07/16/music1.html
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