Prosser

4 out of 5 stars - Prosser is the work of basically one man named Eric Woodruff. But he certainly can do a lot on his own. This record is steeped in timeless Americana, composed of songs that are in no hurry to get anywhere but are just as enjoyable for their world-weary quality. The album kicks off with a roots-riddled "A Worthy Seed" that is more in line with the roots rock repertoire of the Jayhawks than perhaps Wilco. Prosser also shines on the tunes that seem slow and somewhat somber but a tad more pop oriented, like "Summer Song 3" and the up-tempo "I Met a Girl" that recalls Graham Coxon. Woodruff can also churn out some very sweet, sugar-coated pop gems à la Crowded House with the finely tuned "The Time Has Come" that also resembles something from Peter Bjorn and John. Another nugget comes right afterwards with the slow but stellar "Today." Although three of the numbers have "Summer Song" in them, each is quite different, with "Summer Song 1" being a creepy, haunting and somewhat heady affair that hypnotizes the listener. The weakest of the three is "Summer Song 2" which concludes the album, but not on a high note. Neither as effective is the mournful dirge "State I'm In," which is good but drags the album down. Perhaps the highlight on Prosser is the slow dance groove that guides the bittersweet instrumental "The Path to a Field with a View of the City" ever so gently and delicately. A close second is the tender folksy ballad "Someday Soon." - Jason MacNeil - All Music Guide

"As Prosser, former Delay frontman and psychotically talented multi-instrumentalist Eric Woodruff parlays his space-rock past into a psych-folk/roots-pop future. Essentially a one-man solo project (with occasional input from cellist Dylan Rieck and Clickpop owners Josh Haupt and Paul Turpin), Prosser shimmers and sighs as Woodruff’s beautifully rendered melodies drift through his atmospheric Americana soundscape. Woodruff invests the record with the raw passion and restrained power of a Sunday-morning-after-Saturday-night barn jam between Ryan Adams, Billy Corgan and My Morning Jacket, particularly on the slow-building “Kind Words,� the rootsy dirge “Summer Song 1� and the melancholic Wilco nod of “Get Gone.� Woodruff is equally effective when he strips down to Rieck’s cello and his own acoustic fingerpicking, as on the joyously mournful Paul McCartney-channels-Nick Drake ode “Everything I Do.� In the end, Prosser stands out in the crowded ambient alt-country field by virtue of Woodruff’s quietly powerful compositions." - Brian Baker - Harp Magazine

"Eric Woodruff’s short-lived space rock outfit Delay made a big impact on the Bellingham, Washington music scene before cashing out in 2003. Over the next two years, Woodruff moved to Seattle and made basement recordings with cellist/friend Dylan Rieck, eventually collecting enough to warrant an album. Christened as Prosser, the project is essentially Woodruff on every instrument with occasional input from Rieck, keyboardist Paul Turpin and guitarist Josh Haupt (who own Clickpop Records) in a sonic brew that combines Woodruff’s space rock past with a rootsy and psychedelic alt.country shimmer. While this isn’t a particularly new concept, Woodruff succeeds by writing absolutely gorgeous, heartrending melodies and weaving them into songs that equally display their indie rock and roots pop elements. On Prosser’s eponymous debut, Woodruff’s songwriting and instrumental gifts snap and crackle like a collaboration between Billy Corgan and My Morning Jacket, particularly on the twang pop sigh of “I Met a Girl,� the melancholy swell of “Summer Song 1� and the Nick Drake-meets-the Beatles lilt of “Everything I Do.� Woodruff applies simplicity and originality to familiar forms, making Prosser a mournful delight." - Amplifier Magazine

9.0/10.0 - "While the name might suggest a full-blown band, this self-titled debut from Prosser is largely a one man show. Eric Woodruff, formerly of Bellingham, Washington band Delay, has crafted a promising debut with his own two hands. Woodruff played most of the instruments, with some assistance from the likes of Dylan Rieck on cello, Paul Turpin on organ and Josh Haupt adding some additional guitar on “Summer Song 1.� He initially wrote and recorded most of the tracks in his basement, never thinking the sessions would result in an album of finely-tuned Guitar-Pop. As far as I can tell, Prosser, the name of the project, refers to a small farming and wine town in eastern Washington State. The name may have been chosen to reflect the earthy, alt-Country flavor of the album. Woodruff comes across somewhere between Ryan Adams and Elliott Smith with just a small hint of the Shins thrown in. “Prosser� is in the same laid back lo-fi style that Smith used to great effect.



Woodruff, now based in Seattle, enlists a full band when playing live to help the material translate to the stage. The band is a pretty constant fixture at various venues in the greater Seattle area, such as the High Dive and Tractor Tavern – they play to favorable reviews.


The standout track is “I Met A Girl,� with its journeying, on-the-road-again guitar and its yearning and honest lyrics. “Summer Song� is broken up into numbers one, two and three. This is once again reminiscent of Elliott Smith and his odd song titles. “Today� starts as a waltzing, laid back serenade before building to Guitar-Pop bliss. Prosser may not be the most original release in the world, but it is yet another really solid, promising and extremely catchy release from a Pacific Northwest artist. Highly recommended."

- Music-Reviewer.com

7.8/10.0 - "Prosser, the self-titled release from Seattle-based musician Eric Woodruff (formerly of Bellingham’s Delay) is a new and refreshing take on today’s alt-folk sound. The album runs through a gambit of different genres without ever seeming forced or manipulated. The quality of Woodruff’s musicianship (who plays every instrument on the album sans the occasional cello and keyboard) is evident in every richly layered song.

As far as basement recordings go, you would be hard pressed to find an album of such superb clarity and production. Each of the 14 tracks on this album have a distinct flavor, each subtlety touching on different emotions and feelings as they drive through. Some tracks pull heavily from straight-ahead folk reminiscent of later Neil Young (“Kind Words� and “Someday Soon�) while others infuse quirky guitars and unique melodies, such as the song “I Met A Girl,� which floats like a witches brew of the Pixies, Wilco, My Morning Jacket, with a pinch of the Jesus and Mary Chain.

Woodruff is a rarity in today’s music: a musician who can transition well between tempos and moods on the same album without it sounding contrived or uniform. “State I’m In� is one of the albums strongest tracks and one that showcases all of his talents – lyrical poignancy, musical ability, and emotive craftsmanship – all in one gentle, chilly breeze of a song.

“A Worthy Seed,� the album’s opener, is a very good indictor of what’s to come. Blending almost (should I say it?) Freebird- like guitar melodrama with smoky vocal poetics, this is a true testament to the power of Prosser. An album of a lesser caliber would ultimately come off sounding too blatant and phony. Elements of Woodruff’s former project, the sweeping spacerock outfit Delay, are found sporadically throughout Prosser, most notably the atmospheric backdrop on the track “Today.�

Prosser is a delightful album full of a wide array of sounds that will appeal to many types of listeners. It’s hard to find an album that doesn't fall victim to the occasional gaping hole between different experiments. Prosser is surprisingly airtight; it's an album that delivers as much in the moment as it promises in the future." - Three Imaginary Girls

"Prosser is the new project of Eric Woodruff, formerly of Bellingham, WA space rock band Delay. His debut CD ‘Prosser’ is a unique melding of indie rock and alt country, with hints of psychedelic and folk influence. Vocals, cello and a few keyboards are sprinkled on top layers and layers of the jangly guitars that form the basis of the sound. It is a modern take on a classic sound that many will fall in love with.�

We didn’t want to fall in love - but we did. There’s just something about Prosser’s music that is completely irresistible. It’s warm and dreamy, familiar and yet new… it’s like sinking into your favorite chair at the end of a very long but perfect day. Every single song on this release was lovingly crafted & performed with a tremendous amount of heart, soul, and talent… and might as well come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

‘A Worthy Seed’ – A catchy tune with striking rustic melodies about a dream/need most of us carry.

‘Summer Song 3’ has a carefree and youthful feel to it. A bit of a Wilco mixed with Guster feel to it. Probably my favorite track on here (and that’s not an easy decision to make!).

‘I Met A Girl’ put a smile on my face from the very beginning! Has a little of the sixties mixed into it. It's timelessly charming and sweet.

‘The Time Has Come’ starts out with a bit of a Crowded House sound to it. Another brilliant track!

‘Today’ almost made us cry – this song is so stunningly gorgeous! It has a magical spirit and is wholly moving. Perhaps this is my favorite instead.

Other highlights: ‘State I’m In’, ‘Everything I Do’, ‘Kind Words’, ‘Dwell’, and the lovely instrumentals: ‘The Path To A Field With A View Over The City’ and ‘Summer Song 2’.

A very strong & lovely debut; we highly recommend it! " - Babble and Beat

"Eric Woodruff ditched his college degree in geology for a stab at music. Though he made an impact with the prismatic outer space of his band Delay, his latest project, Prosser, is an all-together different sound.

Rather than mining for consciousness-expansion, Prosser goes for a timeless feel that gets more absorbing with each listen. Writing and recording these songs himself in makeshift dwellings (with a little studio polish added later), his first solo effort is rich with instrumentation that’s played with supple ease. Layers and layers of vibrant sound are added, and yet each composition retains the homespun qualities in which it was born.

There’s a picker’s delight on “Everything I Do� that’s contrasted by the elegant acoustical lullaby, titled “Someday Soon.� A track like “I Met a Girl� achieves both flat-picking and a twangy resonance worthy of Chris Isaak. And then there’s the drowsy, ragged alt-country of “Summer Song 1" and “The Path to a Field with a View of the City,� both the aural version of a comfortable pair of worn-out jeans. Style aside, one trademark every Prosser song contains is a simple but memorable melody that fills many a space with its lonesome jangle.

Not bad for a guy trying his hand as a solo artist for the first time. Woodruff’s Prosser is evidence of genuine diversity and a love for music. He never would’ve been happy with a career in geology anyway." - Nuvo.com

"Hailing from the Bellingham, WA, space-rock band Delay, Eric Woodruff is, essentially, Prosser. Playing almost all of the instruments (aside from cello and additional keyboards and guitar), Woodruff also sings all of his material. His approach on a sort of indie-Americana sound gravitates more to a personal level version of the Walkabouts, Seattle’s legendary proprietors of the movement. Oddly enough, his voice is somewhere in between Marc Bolan circa his folk era and those of the Jayhawks brand of country-rock. It’s surprising to hear songs that are so complete and intact in a debut album by an artist who previously played in a drastically different style. Call it elasticity, or call it a songwriter responding to his inner voice, either way the album is astonishingly mature and full sounding. I’d almost liken it to the Decemberists, without the prog leanings, but with one person instead of seven or eight (this is especially true on the cello-laden "The Time has Come"). With three songs titled "Summer Song" scattered over the album, and subjects given to generalities personal in nature ("Today," "Everything I Do," and "Kind Words") there is a certain amount of self-reflection here that shows Woodruff growing as both a person and songwriter. His strongest point, however, is his guitar playing, especially when it’s as lovely as the work on "Summer Song I" (with additional guitarist Josh Haupt)." - Pop Culture Press

4.5/5 stars - "Prosser’s charm hinges greatly on the talents of singer/songwriter Eric Woodruff. Luckily for the listener, they are in great hands with Woodruff as he takes Prosser to great heights on their full length self-titled debut. Opening with the laidback A Worthy Seed, Prosser set their album off in the territory of Death Cab For Cutie with a Southern twist (even though these gentlemen hail from Washington state) and a taste of the late Elliot Smith. Mixing melodic rock with more emotional based songs seems easy for Prosser and the album comes off breezy, yet fully realized. On Summer Song 3, Woodruff digs through the same pile of tattered love that the previously mentioned Elliot Smith spent most of his career exploring. Prosser handle this with total grace and make easy company in this territory of lost love and aching hearts. Picking up the pace on Met A Girl, Prosser unleash a great alternative guitar lick and follow it up with a tune worthy of the works of Neil Halstead on his epic Sleeping On Roads. By the albums third track, Prosser have showcased their ability to move around into different aspects of their sound without making it obvious. This talent keeps the album Prosser moving along its gentle agenda smoothly.

The Time Has Come introduces a nice John Barry influenced string arrangement into the mix of Prosser’s melodic mood rock, adding the great touch of a looming storm cloud over Woodruff’s sunny vocal performance. From here the album continues its upward trajectory with the lush Today, finding Woodruff and company adrift in a seas of melancholia. Prosser is the a band waiting for that one great opportunity to shine. Given the chance for a track to appear in a television show or on the soundtrack to a film, Prosser would be exposed to the crowd they deserve. The music on the album Prosser is as a great blend of Sunday afternoon regret with random rays of hopeful peeking through the clouds. - Cashbox Magazine