“Footprints On The Floor” by The Wildwoods is one of those recordings which captures the beauty of live music with intimate, sweet, vivid accuracy. You will feel like you’re in the room with this group. Every voice, instrument, and texture emerges with clarity. Not to mention, the performance is flawless and the songwriting is just as complex as it is emotionally gratifying. It’s truly a treat to hear something this grounded, and you’ll leave feeling infinitely refreshed.
It begins with acoustic guitar and violin, pretty much immediately signifying the folksy genre and the organic mood. “Locks of hair on the floor / Still waiting / For it grow back so I can go outside,” the verse erupts in tight harmony. Each vocalist blends so seamlessly, you’ll get chills. In addition, their individual voices carry these warm, inviting idiosyncrasies. Underneath, the guitar plucks through dynamic chord inversions, often landing in a delightfully unexpected tonality. If you fast-forward to the end of the chorus, the hook spills onto this continuously unresolved suspended progression, which doesn’t do what your ear predicts and instead hangs in the air. It’s incredibly smart and effective, especially considering it does eventually lead us to the tonic for the verse.
There are not enough words to accurately express how genuinely wonderful this song is. We didn’t even delve into the devilishly poetic lyricism, which obviously factors into the genius of the writing. It would be a crime not to give this song a good listen, so be sure to save it on your preferred streaming service!
Written by Alyce Lindberg
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