Under The Driftwood Tree - If Only If (Single Review)
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Written by Tim Cox
Cardiff five piece Under the Driftwood Tree have toured the UK and Ireland tirelessly for the last two years and have built up quite a following for their acclaimed live shows. Likened to Folk heavyweights Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver and hailed by Radio 1 BBC Introducing as ‘Completely unique’, Under the Driftwood tree describe their music as a mixture of Surf, folk and ‘dancey stuff’. ‘If Only If’ is their first studio recording; released following a particularly successful year which saw them play numerous festivals (including Secret Garden Party, Beach Break Live, Green Man) and saw them win the Isambard NuFolk Award.
From the first assured and intriguing opening lines ‘If you want me come and get me, if you don’t then you don’t’ Under the Driftwood Tree’s debut single evokes a sepia tinted nostalgia. Acoustic guitar and hushed vocals draw you close as the guitar lead chimes in and the warm drone of a didgeridoo rises up in the background. Testament to the masterful production is how the many elements of the song blend together seamlessly; the result is a warm and encapsulating ethereal sound with a contemporary edge that gives the song an uplifting energy. Each band member’s unique vocal adds to a multitude of textures fading in and out imperceptibly from soft to husky, joining together for uplifting harmonies at the hopeful ‘If only if you want to’ refrain. The lyrics initially convey a childlike innocence and indifference but the meaning mutates with each repetition, revealing a cocktail of uncertainty, fear and excitement bubbling underneath the surface. It paces back and forth between verse and bridge, as if weighing up the options before finally bursting into the climactic ‘I hold my breath, dive right in, I’m going nowhere’.
The repetition seeds the track into your subconscious but the lyrics subtly hint at something more than simple pop aspirations. Every note is measured and considered, every word moves the story forward without necessarily saying anything more.
‘If only if’ hints at what great things Under the Driftwood Tree could be capable of; it sticks cautiously to the more folky end of their self defined spectrum. Nevertheless what they have delivered is a fully formed and very accomplished song that is accessible and catchy whilst also being thought provoking, a juxtaposition of simplicity and complexity, which is no mean feat.
Expect big things from Under the Driftwood Tree next year; 2012 will see the release of their debut album accompanied by Festival appearances and another UK and Ireland tour.
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From the first assured and intriguing opening lines ‘If you want me come and get me, if you don’t then you don’t’ Under the Driftwood Tree’s debut single evokes a sepia tinted nostalgia. Acoustic guitar and hushed vocals draw you close as the guitar lead chimes in and the warm drone of a didgeridoo rises up in the background. Testament to the masterful production is how the many elements of the song blend together seamlessly; the result is a warm and encapsulating ethereal sound with a contemporary edge that gives the song an uplifting energy. Each band member’s unique vocal adds to a multitude of textures fading in and out imperceptibly from soft to husky, joining together for uplifting harmonies at the hopeful ‘If only if you want to’ refrain. The lyrics initially convey a childlike innocence and indifference but the meaning mutates with each repetition, revealing a cocktail of uncertainty, fear and excitement bubbling underneath the surface. It paces back and forth between verse and bridge, as if weighing up the options before finally bursting into the climactic ‘I hold my breath, dive right in, I’m going nowhere’.
