Keep Up - Evan Wouters (Album Review)

For those who have been following Kalamazoo artist Evan Wouters (WOOTS), you may remember that he has been on a journey to release his first album as a bandleader and multi-instrumentalist with a host of collaborators on the performing and production end of the process. Fans and first time listeners alike were treated to “Home,” a tune as warm and inviting as walking into your own home after a long journey, and “Awake,” an Americana outing that urges everyone to seek out their passions. Now, after months of refining each tune in various studios, his album Keep Up is ready to enjoy this summer!

The introduction sets a very calming, beachside scene, complete with waves lapping the shoreline and gulls chirping in the distance as acoustic guitar plays in the foreground. The tune transitions into the opening single, “Miles Ahead,” featuring a full, funk-fueled outfit with additional vocalists and horn players. The tone right away is centered on progress, delighting in the joys of completing that next goal to move forward. Caleb Elzinga (Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers and GrooveGround Music) is featured on this track as well, blazing a triumphant trail of energetic tenor saxophone lines. “Leave It Alone” speeds things up with a driving bass and drum groove nestled in some washy soundscapes crafted by the layers of guitars and keyboards. To contrast the initial soundscape, the mood shifts after the second chorus to introduce some piano accompaniment among a lighter instrumentation. The high points in this tune are definitely the fast, fluid guitar solo early on and the Allman Brothers-style guitar soli towards the end, both performed by guest artists Rob Compa from Dopapod.

The next two tunes, “Home” and “Awake,” are reviewed in great detail in the linked posts that I did last year on this blog. Each tune serves to transition from the funkier, larger ensemble to the smaller, more intimate instrument pairings. “Off the Dock” lyrically details that feeling of falling off of a dock into uncharted waters, knowing you’re swimming towards safety but not knowing when exactly you’ll reach it. It mirrors the feeling of taking a risk and diving into your creative venture full-tilt, from the initial rush of the decision to searching incessantly for that moment of triumph in realizing your passions. The lack of bass and drums really emphasizes the intimacy of the song. “Steady Strides” centers on a jangly, old-timey acoustic band feel, adding in a tambourine for percussion and the upright bass, with tasteful horn stabs complimenting the style. For the solo section, Mark Lavengood rips on the dobro during an upbeat bluegrass accompaniment. This track adds yet another example of Woots’ exploration of genre through songwriting and arranging. “Rolling Coal” tells the story of a trip down US 131 gone sideways, complete with a classic train beat to drive the tune down the highway. Musically, the album travels back into the full band with “Untitled,” a track that showcases a solid mixture of “live feel” and a “warm, comfortable mix” between all of the instruments and vocals in the production. The lead tone on the guitar solo soars with reverb and delay with some tasteful, melodic phrasing that builds to some tapping at the end of the tune. “Denver” feels like an Incubus tune, with a sort of psychedelic timbre to the layering of the electric and acoustic instruments on top of the backbeat. There are some wonderful builds on riffs that are reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine with various payoffs: a splashy, expressive ending to the first build and a shift into a different texture for the trumpet solo on the second build. The track closes by returning to the shoreline, with “Outro” taking the listener back to the environment where the journey began.

This album is a great insight into how Evan Wouters operates as a creative. When performing, he delights in exploring what types of sounds he can craft on his own, developing several ways to generate new ideas for songs in the process. As a collaborator, he recognizes the value in bringing in experts on other instruments to enhance the authenticity of each genre choice. During the mixing and mastering process, he utilizes different producers to get an expert set of ears on every part of the recording process. All the while, he continues to learn and grow from the community around him as his vision comes closer to being fully realized on Keep Up, a title that motivates an audience into picking up the pace to follow his progress. This is such a great first outing from Evan Wouters, and it points to some wonderful music to enjoy when you can catch him around the Michigan music scene.

The album drops Saturday, May 22nd! Click the image below to pre-order!

Support Evan Wouters!
Website: www.wootsmusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wootsmusic/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wootsmusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsROHGzNCiiRBq4zeMeHrqg
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0pMPMOTVvEBGaIQzwEfnUs?si=GETlOdrxQYGNxihJhVkKNA
Bandcamp: https://woots.bandcamp.com/album/keep-up

Album Credits:
Evan “Woots” Wouters (Executive Producer / Guitars / Vocals / Synthesizers / Compositions / Arrangements / Project Manager)
Joe Hettinga (Producer / Audio Engineer / Arrangements / Compositions / Piano / Rhodes / Hammond B3 / Prophet / Moog Sub Phatty)
Ian Gorman (Producer / Audio Engineer / Mixing)
Michael Arlen Bont (Banjo / Guitar)
Mark Lavengood (Dobro / Mule / Mandolin)
Rob Compa (Electric Guitar / Composition)
Shawn Lettow (Electric Bass)
Brandon Proch (saxophone / auxiliary percussion / EWI / support vox)
Max Brown (pedal steel)
Samuel Ephland (Drums / Percussion)
Terrance Massey (Trumpet)
Caleb Elzinga (Saxophone)
Jack McDonald (Upright Bass)
Jay Jay Ross (Support Vocals)
Carrie McFerrin (Support Vocals)
MC Friendly (Raps)
Joe Sturgill (Audio Engineer)
Kevin Kozel (Audio Engineer / Producer)
Jake Lashenick (Album Art)