CCMusic.com

The Room in the Wood is the latest project by Paul Cavanagh and Dave Jackson. Over the past year, they have written over 30 new songs. Eleven of these appear on their forthcoming self-titled album. This batch of songs combine Jackson's lyrical storytelling with Cavanagh's exquisite guitar-stylings and make for a diverse collection that blends post-punk pop, gritty blues-folk, and velvety ballads, variously influenced by Russian fairy tales, Francis Bacon, dead oceans, swimming pool bridges, and unanswered prayers. The Room in the Wood was recorded with Steve Powell (Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band) at his Liverpool Arc studio and features (Mark Lanegan/Dave Gahan) drummer, Colin George Lamont, and drummer Jake Woodward. This is the first time Dave and Paul have worked together since their Liverpool post-punk band, The Room, split in 1985. Singer/lyricist Jackson has been writing and recording since his teens in bands such as 051, The Room, Benny Profane, Dust, Dead Cowboys, under his own name with former Shack guitarist John Head, and as Dave Jackson & The Cathedral Mountaineers. He has recorded and released ten albums with these various incarnations and, during the eighties, notched up seven John Peel sessions with The Room and Benny Profane, as well as appearing on the Whistle Test, Janice Long, and Saturday Night Live. Guitarist Paul Cavanagh has played with Chinese Religion, The Balcony, Ludus, The Room, Top, It's Immaterial, Gloss, and Moongoose, and has performed as a solo instrumentalist as Cabin In The Woods and as one of Mike Badger's Shady Trio. Paul also worked with former Room drummer Alan Wills at Deltasonic Records. CD version includes one bonus track, "Vermillion Sands".