- Another month, another emotional house EP from Life & Death. The label is usually reliable, but Ukrainian duo Woo York's efforts fall flat, with The Valley Of Songs lacking the emotive pull of Mind Against, or the high drama of Ten Walls. The overriding feeling on the EP is that of riding out a mid-set lull.
The EP is bookended by its standouts, such as they are. The title track, a combination of glistening horns, clitter-clatter drums, humming bass and birdsong, is hardly original, but it rattles away pleasingly enough. Digital bonus track "He And She" is also mildly engaging, its croaking bass and flitting melodies creating a sense of progression that's largely absent from the rest of the EP. Elsewhere, both "Odyssey" and "Black Soul" do little more than oscillate prosaically for six minutes. "Distance" is simply a mundane spin on the title track. When done well, this style of music establishes a welcoming groove and then dusts it with moments of emotional intensity. The Valley Of Songs does the former but doesn't manage the latter.
TracklistA1 The Valley of Songs
A2 Odyssey
B1 Black Soul
B2 Distance