I hear that the band Sherwood has been greatly influenced by the Beach Boys, in particular Brian Wilson. However, I don’t really hear the Beach Boys influence beyond the lead singer, Nate Henry, who echoes some of Wilson’s sound.
I’d characterize the sound of Sherwood as more of a fast-beat, keyboard-drenched, bubblegum rock, but the key is that they’re contemporary-style music. They do have their own pop-music sound.
The song, “Alive” has the New “Willie Wonka” with Johnny Depp Oompa-Loompa-style harmony vocals. The reverb guitar riffs of guitarist Dan Koch give this song almost a ’50s or early ’60s vibe. Also, the drumming of Joe Greenetz is very prevalent on this cut.
“The Best in Me” is a fast-paced song with keyboards and an intro that sounds like an arcade game. The harmonies are strong, but I think the electronic keyboard sound effects stand out, especially the hand-clapping and keyboard oscillations.
The opening track on the CD, “Song in my Head,” seems to have the heaviest influence of Wilson’s songwriting and melody style, particularly when the song kicks off. However, “Song in my Head” sounds more contemporary than early surf music. The lyrics can be heard clearly, while on some albums, the vocals are buried within the mix.
But of all the songs on the CD, the final one, “I’m Asking Her to Stay” is the most Top-40 friendly. You can easily imagine this song playing on a current hits station.
Sherwood’s second album, “A Different Light,” has memorable lyrics, snappy melodies, and a radio-friendly sound. You can hear it at
