Make sure when you hit play on this one that you listen with as few preconceived notions about how music should sound as possible. Iain Woods seems to be in the business of making art house-pop, and if you're not into the kind of funky, ear-bending song structure that makes your brain work overtime to keep up, then "Fiend" may not be your cup of tea. If you don't mind venturing outside of the Top 40 box every once in a while, however, then Iain Woods is going to take you on a four-minute sonic safari that will blow your mind. "Fiend" is partly jazz and partly alternative-rock, but whatever you decide it is, there's no denying that the man behind it has got a lock on cool-sounding hooks with style to spare. Iain Woods will definitely be a bit left of center for some, and that shouldn't be surprising seeing how his carefully crafted aesthetic has a lot of Warhol and Mapplethorpe vibes going on, but if you give his track here a few plays, his aural persona will win you over . We're especially excited to see what he does with his upcoming debut album, psychologist, too, (it's due out the first of the year), but in the meantime, soak this one up and appreciate the creative quality Iain's putting out.
Iain Woods