Will Wood’s new album, “In case I make it,” is easily his most musically intricate, diverse and emotionally vulnerable release yet. Spanning sixteen incredibly creative and unique tracks, the album proves yet again why the composer, singer and songwriter has amassed a cult-like following; to put it simply, he’s doing something that nobody else is.
“In case I make it,” plays like a movie, with sweeping cinematic strings in songs like the massive and heartfelt “Becoming the Lastnames”, which is complete with some of Will’s best vocal work to date, sitting perfectly alongside more intimate songs like “Cicada Days”, which finds him coming out of his shell more than ever before. Sonically, the album feels so incredibly full that it’s easy to immerse yourself in Will Wood’s world, complete with piano, guitar, ukulele, a brass section and strings. He pulls out all of the punches on this album, and it pays off and then some.
There’s a little bit of something for everyone on “In case I make it,”, too. There are stunning highs and heartbreaking lows throughout, like the delicate eulogy, “Euthanasia”, which contrasts with songs like the satirical, “You Liked This (Okay, Computer!)”. Then, there are songs like “Um, It’s Kind of a Lot”, which finds Will Wood taking an honest look inward, contrasting with the playful songwriting in a way that’ll make your head spin. There’s the seductive “Vampire Reference in a Minor Key,” which comes only a couple of songs before the wild “The Main Character,” which is carried by exciting keys, playful vocals and so many little instrumentals that you’ll have to listen to the song a few times to get everything from it. Throughout the album, there’s a constant push and pull between elation and depression, hope and hopelessness, and he does it in a way that feels totally earnest.
The thing that makes a Will Wood album, and especially “In case I make it,” great is his willingness to look at the prettiest and ugliest parts of himself and write about them. The album is so incredibly honest and vulnerable that it’s impossible not to feel connected to it. These sixteen songs find Will Wood bearing his soul in a way that feels completely genuine, making it impossible not to find at least one song that just gets you. It doesn’t matter if it’s “Against The Kitchen Floor,” which finds him admitting, “I’m sorry I promise I’m doing my best”, or if it’s the epic closer, “White Noise,” there’s something that will speak to everyone on “In case I make it,”.