Wood/Water

The Promise Ring

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 23, 2002)
• Original Release Date: April 23, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Anti
• ASIN: B000063NCE
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #169,702 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
After spending six years playing to a small but loyal fringe following of emo kids, the Promise Ring break hearts and stereotypes on their fourth studio album. With the help of producer Stephen Street (Smiths, Blur, Pretenders) and new label Anti- Records (Tom Waits, Merle Haggard), the Milwaukee band sets aside its furrow-browed bedroom angst and embraces whopping Technicolor melodies, elegant guitar rock passages, and an air of confidence that suggests they mean it this time. Wood/Water presents the Promise Ring at their most approachable; it's a gorgeous pastiche of hallowed left-field acts like the Flaming Lips ("Suffer Never"), Weezer ("Get on the Floor"), and a folky Beck ("Letters to the Far Reaches"). The most remarkable track is "Become One Anything One Time," which casts them as the American answer to Travis and delivers the heartbreaking affirmation: "I'm just happy you stuck around." The Promise Ring: clearly worth the wait. --Aidin Vaziri

Product Description
4th full length from the popular band, produced by Stephen Street, who is known fro his work with The Smiths, Blur & The Cranberries. For fans of Jayhawk & Wilco. 2002.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Musical Adventure, August 5, 2004

By	B. Brewton - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I cannot believe how many negative reviews I have read about this album, arguably one of the best emo albums of all-time. The Promise Ring broke up because of people who just couldn't accept their change in sound. This entire album came about from their lead singer being diagnosed with brain cancer, overcoming the cancer, and then feeling more introspective with his songwriting. These songs reflect a range of emotions, from actualizing your own death to cherishing every second of life. The lyrics are amazing, the orchestration is miraculous, and WOOD/WATER is an amazing album.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was skeptical, but it's a great album..., September 4, 2002

By A Customer

I respect the Promise Ring for making a concerted effort to remove themselves from the current "emo" sound. Most bands would attribute this to "maturing" or "evolving". To me, when a band says they've matured or evolved it's usually a bad thing. The Get Up Kids for instance, just stopped rocking. They don't sound like the band I was into 5 years ago. But the 'Ring embraced change, stated that and didn't try to tiptoe around it.
That being said, the album is full of great "rock" songs...most are mellow and chill. It's literally like they went from little hyper-happy kids to chilled out happy grownups.

Granted it's not *exactly* like their old stuff, but take it on it's own--it's a great album.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Promising Return, April 26, 2002

By	joel van gorder (Milwaukee, WI USA) - See all my reviews

It has been 3 years since the Promise Ring's last album, Very Emergency. In that span of time the Promise Ring has changed lineups, completely refined their sound, and created Wood/Water, possibly the best album of their career.

Wood/Water is the antithesis of Very Emergency. The Promise Ring trades in the straight-forward rock stylings of their previous albums for more complex, laidback material with Wood/Water. The result is complete success. On the album the band experiments with keyboards and other effects, creating playful, textured melodies that are reminiscent of British bands like Travis and Coldplay. Trust me, this is a good thing. The first single "Stop Playing Guitar" is proof that the Promise Ring can still make that one song that you can never get out of your head. With a rousing "yeah, yeah" chorus and a gorgeous lead guitar riff courtesy of Jason Gnewikow, "Stop Playing Guitar" is sure to please any Promise Ring fan. Songs like "Bread & Coffee," "Half Year Sun," and "My Life is at Home" display a new sense of songwriting maturity that has only been hinted at before. They include some of Davey's best and most heartfelt lyrics to date sung in his breathy, hushed tone. "Become Anything One Time" is the standout track. The melody is top notch with a muted guitar lead throughout the verse that just tickles the listener's spine.

With Wood/Water the Promise Ring reclaim their throne at the top of the indie rock world. Wood/Water picks up where "Nothing Feels Good" left off, containing some of the best indie-pop songs you will ever hear. As a long time Promise Ring fan, take my word, do not hesitate, and go buy this album. It is well worth it.