Farewood

I tried to pick just 10. It was impossible. I tried to whittle to 15. No dice. There was just too much goodness in local music in CT in all genres. I listen to one local record a week in my car (What’s in the Flounce). The 18 below are the offerings I just couldn’t get enough of as I drove around or heard via download or on vinyl (I just LOVE local vinyl). And…they are all winners when it comes to playing live!! If 2012 is any indication of what’s to come next year, I have very high hopes!! Pick up any or all of the records on this list. You can’t go wrong with any of them!
- Local Band Review

An ethereal and ghostly album combining elements of shoegaze with 90's alt rock. Every song soars along with their soulful front woman leading the flight. - CT.COM

A six year gap between debut album and second effort is enough to outdo even The Stone Roses legendary hiatus. Rather than legal wrangling and inter-band fighting, the extended break for Connecticut's Farewood was for altogether different reasons. The band's twin vocalists and writing partnership of Lou Lorenzo and Leah Booker also happen to be husband and wife and that time was well spent bringing their first child into the world, an event that proved to be a big inspiration behind many of the songs on 'Wings Of Gold', an album that, in their own words "orbits around the idea of what it means to hold on to one's own identity while being responsible for guiding and shaping another's."

It's difficult to assess exactly how much of the record centres around that concept, as often the lyrics seem rather abstract and, being influenced by dreampop and shoegaze bands, it's often as if you're viewing them through frosted glass. It's all very soft focus and hazy, but with that comes a warming glow that adds to the appeal rather than detracting from the subject matter. It's the sound of 'Wings Of Gold' that will lead people to it and the constant background hum will be something shoegazers everywhere will be well acquainted with, a continuous wall of gentle fuzz and ghostly vocals. It's nothing new yet it's a sound that has multitude of obsessives and doesn't cease to be relevant to the dedicated hordes.

They're unlikely to find anything overly remarkable here, this album's strength lies in its consistency and the fact that none of it is here just to make up the numbers. As collections of songs go this is pretty strong, with 'Sable Sky' and 'About The Angel' being particularly potent. The fact that lead vocal duties are shared adds a little extra diversity to what is an otherwise fairly unchanging sound, although slower tracks such as 'Vacancy' and the lovely 'Fruit Trees' also prevent things becoming too monotonous. Wings of gold must be pretty heavy things to carry about, and although they don't quite reach giddy heights with them, Farewood do achieve lift-off with this record and it's definitely worth exploring. See you again in six years time then, guys?
- Sounds XP.COM (Kev W.)

A six year gap between debut album and second effort is enough to outdo even The Stone Roses legendary hiatus. Rather than legal wrangling and inter-band fighting, the extended break for Connecticut's Farewood was for altogether different reasons. The band's twin vocalists and writing partnership of Lou Lorenzo and Leah Booker also happen to be husband and wife and that time was well spent bringing their first child into the world, an event that proved to be a big inspiration behind many of the songs on 'Wings Of Gold', an album that, in their own words "orbits around the idea of what it means to hold on to one's own identity while being responsible for guiding and shaping another's."

It's difficult to assess exactly how much of the record centres around that concept, as often the lyrics seem rather abstract and, being influenced by dreampop and shoegaze bands, it's often as if you're viewing them through frosted glass. It's all very soft focus and hazy, but with that comes a warming glow that adds to the appeal rather than detracting from the subject matter. It's the sound of 'Wings Of Gold' that will lead people to it and the constant background hum will be something shoegazers everywhere will be well acquainted with, a continuous wall of gentle fuzz and ghostly vocals. It's nothing new yet it's a sound that has multitude of obsessives and doesn't cease to be relevant to the dedicated hordes.

They're unlikely to find anything overly remarkable here, this album's strength lies in its consistency and the fact that none of it is here just to make up the numbers. As collections of songs go this is pretty strong, with 'Sable Sky' and 'About The Angel' being particularly potent. The fact that lead vocal duties are shared adds a little extra diversity to what is an otherwise fairly unchanging sound, although slower tracks such as 'Vacancy' and the lovely 'Fruit Trees' also prevent things becoming too monotonous. Wings of gold must be pretty heavy things to carry about, and although they don't quite reach giddy heights with them, Farewood do achieve lift-off with this record and it's definitely worth exploring. See you again in six years time then, guys?
- Sounds XP.COM (Kev W.)

I've always said that one of the best things about the CT music scene is its diversity. There are so many different little sub-genres represented all over the state. There really are dozens of bands that don't sound like any other band actively recording/playing out in the state. One of those bands is Meriden's Farewood.

I had the pleasure of seeing Farewood live for the first time at this year's Meriden Daffodil Festival, which also happened to be a sort of de facto CD release party as their newest album, Wings of Gold, was hot off the presses. (We also had the pleasure of filming part of their set that's going to air as part of our Live & Local series on May 13 on WCCT - plug, plug.) After their set a friend turned to me and described them as having an "angsty retro 90's vibe". I thought that was pretty apropos in the best of ways. Their sound really is an amalgamation of all the best that 90's indie rock/"alternative" had to offer. It's a little dark, a little dangerous. You get equal parts uplifted and contemplative when you sit down and really give it a good listen.

Their Facebook page lists their influences and, among others, bands like The Sundays and The Cocteau Twins show up. When you listen to this album you can absolutely hear the influence of both those artists, but I would also say Farewood is a little darker and a lot less poppy than either of those bands. They also list The Afghan Wigs and now I think we are getting a little closer to home. For me though the first band that came to mind was UK's Doves (and yes I know the first Doves album wasn't released until 2000). It has that sort of soaring, experimental post-Britpop/alt rock vibe that Doves has made a career off of. The fact that Farewood's vocals also alternate almost equally between male and female make me think a little about Mazzy Star too at certain points on the album, but Farewood are much less shoegazey and more progressive in their songwriting.

Regardless of how you want to characterize them, Farewood has cobbled together a really well written and well produced album. The best part may be that they can pull it off in the live setting. A band will always get bonus kudos from me when that happens. This album was defintiely worth the wait and I hope to see more of them in the near future.
- CT.COM (Chip McCabe)

From Meriden, USA, comes the next big thing to listen to while skinny dipping at 3am, drinking elderflower cordial and finding your cosmic zen. Guitars twang, voices give you a neck rub, and you can sit back and contemplate the news that they totally reckon there's loads of water on Mars, man. - Noisey

From Meriden, USA, comes the next big thing to listen to while skinny dipping at 3am, drinking elderflower cordial and finding your cosmic zen. Guitars twang, voices give you a neck rub, and you can sit back and contemplate the news that they totally reckon there's loads of water on Mars, man. - Noisey

Nearly every biographical description of Connecticut group Farewood, including its own, mentions the “decay” and “desolate feel” of the band’s hometown, Meriden. It is indeed a dispiriting place, to say the least, though the city’s post-industrial dilapidation has proven a potent influence on husband-wife team Lou Lorenzo and Leah Booker (joined here by longtime drummer Kyle McCarthy and soundscape artist Ed Diaz). They mix the eerie, vacant feel of downtown Meriden with influences from the ’80s indie-rock underground on “Wings of Gold,” their fourth album and first since 2007.

That record, “Figures in Shadows,” was more directly about Meriden, and the corrosive effects of longing for rock ‘n’ roll success that was always, for most Meriden bands, well out of reach. “Wings of Gold” is more oblique, with vocals wrapped in gauzy layers of reverb and surrounded by dark, urgent guitars, swirling atmospheric textures and propulsive rhythms. Booker sings sweetly over chugging guitars on “A Ghost Staring,” while chiming cascades of overdriven guitar frame Lorenzo’s subdued voice on “Be Still in the Blackness,” as Booker chimes in with murmured harmonies. The 8-minute “Witch” takes the moody vibe even further, with Lorenzo and Booker singing softly over a distant wash of roiling guitars.

For all its minor-key musical darkness, much of “Wings of Gold” has a redemptive feel emphasized by the triumphant tone of album closer “Stairs to Freedom.” It’s as if Farewood finally sees a promising glow on the horizon after navigating a long, black night.

— Eric R. Danton - Listen, Damnit. (Eric R. Danton)

It was 2006, and the DaVinci Code was all the rage. Twitter was just being launched, and Steve Jobs had yet to tell us why we all needed this thing called an iPhone.

That was also the last time Farewood, the Meriden band anchored by husband-wife team of Lou and Leah Lorenzo, released an album. “Wings Of Gold,” released earlier this year, keeps with their trend of releasing albums in six year intervals.


Lou says their 2000 release “Safely Out Of Reach” drew attention from regional press, and even a cross-Atlantic phone call from the manager of the Cocteau Twins. Getting the follow up album out was a little more difficult, as they credit various studio and production issues with keeping “Figures In Shadows,” in limbo until 2006.

“We had all the momentum from Safely Out Of Reach, and it kind of ended right there, with trying to go that bigger studio level.” Lou said. “It took the wind out of our sails.”


(Right to left) Drummer Kyle McCarthy, Lou Lorenzo, Leah Lorenzo, and guitarist Eddie Diaz. (Nick Caito)
Soon after the 2006 release came the couple’s first of two daughters, along with a hiatus. It was a request by Lou’s sister to to play her wedding that even made the two consider a serious return. A chance encounter in WalMart with original drummer Kyle McCarthy and the addition of guitarist Eddie Diaz brought the group back together.

“Wings Of Gold” guides the listener through a forest of layered soundscapes, with underbrush of hushed tones and illuminated groves of bold vocal melodies.

Reconciling a new life outlook with their darker, more pensive songwriting style presented an interesting combination. Leah and Lou say “Wings Of Gold” was originally intended to be far more cheerful and upbeat, but the writing process left the tone somewhere in the middle.


Lou Lorenzo of Farewood, during a recent show at the Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford. (Nick Caito)
“We’ve always been drawn to the darker aspects of life. When you have kids you almost notice the bad things more…” said Leah. “You have to be able to find things in this world that are still bright and pure, and not just believe that it’s all hopeless.”

Some songs like “Be Still The Blackness” wrap themselves in heavy cloaks of Slowdive-style reverb that highlight colors of optimism among the sonic threads. “Fruit Trees” also keeps a brighter tone before descending into “The Witch,” a morose allegory that directly confronts fatherly failure, which Lou said is now his greatest fear.


Lou and Leah Lorenzo, the husband-wife anchors of the Meriden based band Farewood. (Nick Caito)
“Those are the kinds of things that are in your mind when you’re trying to live a creative life and life of responsibility too,” Lou said.

Responsibility is taking precedence, though there’s no question the Lorenzos will keep Farewood happening in some shape through the future.

“The way I look at is, just play and take it day by day, keep it going another day, another week, another year, until it’s time to just completely stop.” said Lou. “But I don’t think I’ll ever completely stop.”
- Hartford Courant (Nick Caito)

It was 2006, and the DaVinci Code was all the rage. Twitter was just being launched, and Steve Jobs had yet to tell us why we all needed this thing called an iPhone.

That was also the last time Farewood, the Meriden band anchored by husband-wife team of Lou and Leah Lorenzo, released an album. “Wings Of Gold,” released earlier this year, keeps with their trend of releasing albums in six year intervals.


Lou says their 2000 release “Safely Out Of Reach” drew attention from regional press, and even a cross-Atlantic phone call from the manager of the Cocteau Twins. Getting the follow up album out was a little more difficult, as they credit various studio and production issues with keeping “Figures In Shadows,” in limbo until 2006.

“We had all the momentum from Safely Out Of Reach, and it kind of ended right there, with trying to go that bigger studio level.” Lou said. “It took the wind out of our sails.”


(Right to left) Drummer Kyle McCarthy, Lou Lorenzo, Leah Lorenzo, and guitarist Eddie Diaz. (Nick Caito)
Soon after the 2006 release came the couple’s first of two daughters, along with a hiatus. It was a request by Lou’s sister to to play her wedding that even made the two consider a serious return. A chance encounter in WalMart with original drummer Kyle McCarthy and the addition of guitarist Eddie Diaz brought the group back together.

“Wings Of Gold” guides the listener through a forest of layered soundscapes, with underbrush of hushed tones and illuminated groves of bold vocal melodies.

Reconciling a new life outlook with their darker, more pensive songwriting style presented an interesting combination. Leah and Lou say “Wings Of Gold” was originally intended to be far more cheerful and upbeat, but the writing process left the tone somewhere in the middle.


Lou Lorenzo of Farewood, during a recent show at the Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford. (Nick Caito)
“We’ve always been drawn to the darker aspects of life. When you have kids you almost notice the bad things more…” said Leah. “You have to be able to find things in this world that are still bright and pure, and not just believe that it’s all hopeless.”

Some songs like “Be Still The Blackness” wrap themselves in heavy cloaks of Slowdive-style reverb that highlight colors of optimism among the sonic threads. “Fruit Trees” also keeps a brighter tone before descending into “The Witch,” a morose allegory that directly confronts fatherly failure, which Lou said is now his greatest fear.


Lou and Leah Lorenzo, the husband-wife anchors of the Meriden based band Farewood. (Nick Caito)
“Those are the kinds of things that are in your mind when you’re trying to live a creative life and life of responsibility too,” Lou said.

Responsibility is taking precedence, though there’s no question the Lorenzos will keep Farewood happening in some shape through the future.

“The way I look at is, just play and take it day by day, keep it going another day, another week, another year, until it’s time to just completely stop.” said Lou. “But I don’t think I’ll ever completely stop.”
- Hartford Courant (Nick Caito)

The liner notes in Wings of Gold begin with an excerpt of a short story by Lou Lorenzo, establishing the concept of multi-dimensional worlds co-existing and interacting as one, instead of relegating it to the cold black and white stance of fact or fiction. By exploring the fairy tales, folklore, mythology, and spirituality of man, Farewood allows us to discover how much truth lies in the legends that have been traditionally told and retold through the ages. Love, life’s lessons, and the morality of man have never been, nor shall ever be, one dimensional.

Meriden, CT’s Farewood is the husband and wife team of Leah Booker Lorenzo (Vocals, bass) and Lou Lorenzo (Vocals, guitar), who, along with Kyle McCarthy (drums), have been exploring musical dimensions for over a dozen years now. Wings of Gold, their 4th album, adds Ed Diaz (Guitar) to the multi-dimensional fold.

Farewood opens the album with the innocence of a child’s prayer, and then tackles the bold territory of ethereal rock with a mature, otherworldly, surreal sound. A Ghost Staring, prepares us for the musical journey we are about to embark on; it relates the gift to see, hear, and identify this world through the souls that have already done so. It affirms that we are being guided by those who know how to craft the music; thus, it carries out this missive perfectly.

We not only have tales of ghosts which we can identify with, but also of Angels - of a fall shroud in controversy and conspiracy in attempt to derail the true message of the loss of Love and Truth. About the Angel is a soaring, beautiful, guitar-drenched composition that sounds like Tangerine Dream re-visualized by Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Smiths, and Joy Division.

Continuing our re-education of mortal morality, The Witch tells a tale we all know, yet few ever recognize. It is the classic, epic story of trading one’s soul for fame and fortune, without ever taking into account that the soul could be part of someone else or the ramifications that material greed can have upon love. The complex, lo-fi, distortion-heavy, shoe-gazey guitar effects conjure images of an enchanted forest after nuclear destruction and allow us to realize that even self-sacrifice has far-reaching consequences of which we should always be aware.

Woven into these multi-dimensional life lessons of morality is Farewood’s reassurance that while we may feel like we suffer and sacrifice in this life, if we allow the love, light, and knowledge of other lives (past, present, and future) to influence, develop, and shine through us, we can experience an existence beyond the imposed boundaries of this world and truly embrace the essence of our spiritual love.

Vacancy, with Lou and Leah’s dual harmony and Neil Young/Crazy Horse/Pink Floyd/Radiohead guitar soaring into the stratosphere, delivers a spellbinding love ballad that reflects what could lead up to, or be the result of, Fruit Trees - in which Leah’s Bjork/Kate Bush style vocals present a lullaby reassuring a child of its mother’s unconditional love, while also doubling as an ode to her lover. She is humbled by the love that has allowed her to hold both of them inside her. Using just keyboards and guitars, Lou conveys the otherworldly, spiritual involvement of love, both given and received, to and from each, in the creation of another.

Creating an ethereal form of love that is just as tangible in spirit as it is in life, is what resonates and propels Farewood to breathe life into and throughout their music. Using a variety of distortion pedals for manic, dirty/fuzzy tones, along with deft finesse in the loose, laid-back, beautiful, yet brutal guitar playing, both Lou and Ed spew 90’s Alt/grunge (Be Still The Blackness) and channel monster U2/REM style themes (Sable Sky, Wings [Reprise]). Meanwhile, Leah and Kyle’s knowledge of each other’s rhythmic moves (Wings of Gold) provides the synchronicity of this multi-dimensional presentation.

They close the album with Stairs to Freedom, a jangle-distort-pop song of hope beyond life, if we just open our ears and eyes to every possibility that has been presented to us throughout time and beyond. Sounding like The Sundays chopped up a Blondie song and put the pieces back together, it’s an ethereal, out-of-body experience that affirms and embraces that love, life’s lessons, and the morality of man, have never been, nor shall ever be, one dimensional.
- Gary Gone (Independisc)

The liner notes in Wings of Gold begin with an excerpt of a short story by Lou Lorenzo, establishing the concept of multi-dimensional worlds co-existing and interacting as one, instead of relegating it to the cold black and white stance of fact or fiction. By exploring the fairy tales, folklore, mythology, and spirituality of man, Farewood allows us to discover how much truth lies in the legends that have been traditionally told and retold through the ages. Love, life’s lessons, and the morality of man have never been, nor shall ever be, one dimensional.

Meriden, CT’s Farewood is the husband and wife team of Leah Booker Lorenzo (Vocals, bass) and Lou Lorenzo (Vocals, guitar), who, along with Kyle McCarthy (drums), have been exploring musical dimensions for over a dozen years now. Wings of Gold, their 4th album, adds Ed Diaz (Guitar) to the multi-dimensional fold.

Farewood opens the album with the innocence of a child’s prayer, and then tackles the bold territory of ethereal rock with a mature, otherworldly, surreal sound. A Ghost Staring, prepares us for the musical journey we are about to embark on; it relates the gift to see, hear, and identify this world through the souls that have already done so. It affirms that we are being guided by those who know how to craft the music; thus, it carries out this missive perfectly.

We not only have tales of ghosts which we can identify with, but also of Angels - of a fall shroud in controversy and conspiracy in attempt to derail the true message of the loss of Love and Truth. About the Angel is a soaring, beautiful, guitar-drenched composition that sounds like Tangerine Dream re-visualized by Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Smiths, and Joy Division.

Continuing our re-education of mortal morality, The Witch tells a tale we all know, yet few ever recognize. It is the classic, epic story of trading one’s soul for fame and fortune, without ever taking into account that the soul could be part of someone else or the ramifications that material greed can have upon love. The complex, lo-fi, distortion-heavy, shoe-gazey guitar effects conjure images of an enchanted forest after nuclear destruction and allow us to realize that even self-sacrifice has far-reaching consequences of which we should always be aware.

Woven into these multi-dimensional life lessons of morality is Farewood’s reassurance that while we may feel like we suffer and sacrifice in this life, if we allow the love, light, and knowledge of other lives (past, present, and future) to influence, develop, and shine through us, we can experience an existence beyond the imposed boundaries of this world and truly embrace the essence of our spiritual love.

Vacancy, with Lou and Leah’s dual harmony and Neil Young/Crazy Horse/Pink Floyd/Radiohead guitar soaring into the stratosphere, delivers a spellbinding love ballad that reflects what could lead up to, or be the result of, Fruit Trees - in which Leah’s Bjork/Kate Bush style vocals present a lullaby reassuring a child of its mother’s unconditional love, while also doubling as an ode to her lover. She is humbled by the love that has allowed her to hold both of them inside her. Using just keyboards and guitars, Lou conveys the otherworldly, spiritual involvement of love, both given and received, to and from each, in the creation of another.

Creating an ethereal form of love that is just as tangible in spirit as it is in life, is what resonates and propels Farewood to breathe life into and throughout their music. Using a variety of distortion pedals for manic, dirty/fuzzy tones, along with deft finesse in the loose, laid-back, beautiful, yet brutal guitar playing, both Lou and Ed spew 90’s Alt/grunge (Be Still The Blackness) and channel monster U2/REM style themes (Sable Sky, Wings [Reprise]). Meanwhile, Leah and Kyle’s knowledge of each other’s rhythmic moves (Wings of Gold) provides the synchronicity of this multi-dimensional presentation.

They close the album with Stairs to Freedom, a jangle-distort-pop song of hope beyond life, if we just open our ears and eyes to every possibility that has been presented to us throughout time and beyond. Sounding like The Sundays chopped up a Blondie song and put the pieces back together, it’s an ethereal, out-of-body experience that affirms and embraces that love, life’s lessons, and the morality of man, have never been, nor shall ever be, one dimensional.
- Gary Gone (Independisc)

In the youtube generation, so many “artists” put little thought into their output. It's comforting that there are bands like Farewood, who not only lay down beautiful musical tracks, but do so in order to bring readers to a richly developed fictional world of struggles and progress through human, or human-like interactions. In these songs of love and pain, a listener meets speakers they can identify with on a human level, as well as a witch, a ghost, and an angel.

Whipped up in this cauldron, listeners may sense flavors of so many alternative and indie rock staples from the decades. Fans of Bjork and Delores O'Riordan may enjoy similar qualities to the female vocals of Farewood's Leah Booker, while one can hear Farewood's Lou Lorenzo and detect throaty hints of Lou Reed with the gentleness of The Gift Machine and soft waves of New Haven's Jayson Munro. Surrounding the voices that tell the story is a well-produced atmosphere that varies from many distinct layers of rich pop rock, to simple folk rock sounds.
After a haunting introduction with an echoing child's prayer in track 1, Wings of Gold moves onward into track 2, “A Ghost Staring” with Booker's striking vocals complimenting a driving background that approaches the sound of poprock hits such as Muse's “Starlight”. Next, is the title track, with Booker continuing to take the vocal lead with caressing vocal harmonies and dueling vocals. The story seems to take a serious and urgent tone as the music turns to crunching bold guitars and lyrics chant, “Closing in, closing in, oh man it's really happening.”

On track 4, Booker's vocals fill in the space around Lorenzo's vocals, that here take on almost a groan like J. Mascis of Dinosaur, Jr. with more of that rich, layers background of sound. Track 5, “Sable Sky” begins with upbeat drums before a vocally rich wall of harmonies begins, leading into some rocking guitar and continuing that sense of urgency.Track 6, “Vacancy” brings it back down to a calmer tone with as a slow, folksy ballad. Electric guitar licks echo over the swaying chords and kicking drums. Following that, electric guitar leads introduce a song that brings back that sense of urgency kind of like the intro to Built to Spill's “Traces” before Lorenzo continues to tell the story.

Next, a quiet and trippy intro to “Fruit Trees” features more of Booker's vocals and has a lighter mood with themes of love and optimism. The remaining tracks continue in this vein of great atmosphere and that range of pop-rock to folksy alternative.

The sound as well as the story make this release clearly a result of lots of effort. Listeners willing to put the effort into listening and reading along will find the kind of payoff and satisfaction you won't get from just any old act these days. - CT Indie

In the youtube generation, so many “artists” put little thought into their output. It's comforting that there are bands like Farewood, who not only lay down beautiful musical tracks, but do so in order to bring readers to a richly developed fictional world of struggles and progress through human, or human-like interactions. In these songs of love and pain, a listener meets speakers they can identify with on a human level, as well as a witch, a ghost, and an angel.

Whipped up in this cauldron, listeners may sense flavors of so many alternative and indie rock staples from the decades. Fans of Bjork and Delores O'Riordan may enjoy similar qualities to the female vocals of Farewood's Leah Booker, while one can hear Farewood's Lou Lorenzo and detect throaty hints of Lou Reed with the gentleness of The Gift Machine and soft waves of New Haven's Jayson Munro. Surrounding the voices that tell the story is a well-produced atmosphere that varies from many distinct layers of rich pop rock, to simple folk rock sounds.
After a haunting introduction with an echoing child's prayer in track 1, Wings of Gold moves onward into track 2, “A Ghost Staring” with Booker's striking vocals complimenting a driving background that approaches the sound of poprock hits such as Muse's “Starlight”. Next, is the title track, with Booker continuing to take the vocal lead with caressing vocal harmonies and dueling vocals. The story seems to take a serious and urgent tone as the music turns to crunching bold guitars and lyrics chant, “Closing in, closing in, oh man it's really happening.”

On track 4, Booker's vocals fill in the space around Lorenzo's vocals, that here take on almost a groan like J. Mascis of Dinosaur, Jr. with more of that rich, layers background of sound. Track 5, “Sable Sky” begins with upbeat drums before a vocally rich wall of harmonies begins, leading into some rocking guitar and continuing that sense of urgency.Track 6, “Vacancy” brings it back down to a calmer tone with as a slow, folksy ballad. Electric guitar licks echo over the swaying chords and kicking drums. Following that, electric guitar leads introduce a song that brings back that sense of urgency kind of like the intro to Built to Spill's “Traces” before Lorenzo continues to tell the story.

Next, a quiet and trippy intro to “Fruit Trees” features more of Booker's vocals and has a lighter mood with themes of love and optimism. The remaining tracks continue in this vein of great atmosphere and that range of pop-rock to folksy alternative.

The sound as well as the story make this release clearly a result of lots of effort. Listeners willing to put the effort into listening and reading along will find the kind of payoff and satisfaction you won't get from just any old act these days. - CT Indie

Over at Toad's Place, Meriden dwellers Farewood scaled things back a little, offering something harder and yet softer. Softer in the acoustic strumming that vocalist Leah Booker brought to the front; harder in the fiery electric guitar somewhere in the backround, playing counterpoint to the acoustic. And further on, harder still in Leah's voice as her vocals burst outward, sometimes so powerful you could hear her over the instruments without a microphone. Her delivery echoed the styles of more folky mainstream female vocalists, as she would sometimes hit a country twang or a rippling whine. The similarities end there, though, as Farewood delivered more power than other bands in the same vein. You could blame all three members of Farewood for that, as they thrashed their instruments within an inch of their lives. Seeing Farewood, you can imagine how things like Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin could have happened. - New Haven Advocate

Of Farewood's album Safely Out of Reach: "It's a very solid production and Booker's singing is so solid she should be heard nationally. - New Haven Register

This well established Meriden-based trio has a slightly shadowy yet not mopey sound, with some big'ol indie rock shoulders to carry it. Smiling Afghan Whigs meets Sugarcubes with hooks aplenty, ethereal vocals, full and warm guitars, spot-on harmonies, well written melodies and stylish production from Mike Deming. "Smudged" is definitely going on a mix tape. Eleven tracks and not one clinker. - New Haven Advocate

Sweet Melancholic Indie Folk and Pop: Farewood's sound suggests a source of youthful vibrancy at the end of innocence without a trace of the precocious or malevolent. Safely out of Reach, their second album, displays a range of moods: Upbeat attitude in "Playin the Scenes" and "Monday Morning Train," mellow joy effected by pretty female voice and enhanced by acoustic guitar in "The Fall," and darker, more sorrowful sentiments evoked powerfully in "Candle" and "The One Who Disappeared" (The latter being my favorite track here). The essence of Farewood is a combination of acoustic and jangly electric guitars, minor key bass harmonies, easy going drum lines, and exceptional male and female vocals. The occasional addition of peripheral samples, dramatic guitar effects, and diverse percussive instruments adds to the fullness and character of their sound without overcoming the pure emotion of these sweet, often melancholy songs. In all, this album provides a nice, gentle listening session.
- Outburn

Sometimes you have to step back from what you are doing to remember why you need to do it,¨ explains Leah Booker of the band Farewood . The band -- which up until recently had been in that half-broken-up, half-hiatus state that most bands never return from -- has been around the Connecticut scene for years now. They sprang back into action this past Friday night at Cherry St. Station, where they debuted new material and even released a self-produced music video. (Visit the Local Commotion blog for a link to their ¨King John¨ video.)
The time off seems to have been fruitful. Farewood will appeal to fans of noisy, fuzzed-out alternative. They´re the type of band one would´ve called ¨indie¨ before indie became a buzzword. Lou Lorenzo channels riffs too big for him to hold, as though he´s been forced into slavery by some pseudo-malevolent rock deity. Booker, for her part, rambles like a defendant reaching for every ounce of plausible deniability she can get. Her singing is, at times, almost more like spoken word -- but, tone-wise, there´s none of the frantic edge in her vocals that would make her sound neurotic or unstable. Farewood´s demons are implied, rather than overt: they lurk in bent notes and clipped amps.

- Hartford Advocate

Sweet Melancholic Indie Folk and Pop: Farewood's sound suggests a source of youthful vibrancy at the end of innocence without a trace of the precocious or malevolent. Safely out of Reach, their second album, displays a range of moods: Upbeat attitude in "Playin the Scenes" and "Monday Morning Train," mellow joy effected by pretty female voice and enhanced by acoustic guitar in "The Fall," and darker, more sorrowful sentiments evoked powerfully in "Candle" and "The One Who Disappeared" (The latter being my favorite track here). The essence of Farewood is a combination of acoustic and jangly electric guitars, minor key bass harmonies, easy going drum lines, and exceptional male and female vocals. The occasional addition of peripheral samples, dramatic guitar effects, and diverse percussive instruments adds to the fullness and character of their sound without overcoming the pure emotion of these sweet, often melancholy songs. In all, this album provides a nice, gentle listening session.
- Outburn