All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Alternative Press

[They] clearly sound alive with the possibility of redefining punk song structure by writing 11-minute flamboyant guitar dirges that have as much in common with My Bloody Valentine as they do with '70s arena rock. [May 2005, p.170]

100

Mojo

[They] have made an evolutionary leap in rock. [Jun 2005, p.108]

100

Village Voice (Consumer Guide)

Although the album is definitely loud, it's also raw, with no hint of the symphonic, yet at the same time it's a melodic highlight of an honorably tuneful catalog.

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100

Delusions of Adequacy

The album is ambitious as it is daring, and it's the most refreshing piece of new music released thus far into 2005.

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cokemachineglow

The Woods is an incredibly intense rock record even by S-K’s lofty standards; it's a call to arms that will hopefully force complacent indie kids to demand more from their rock music.

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ShakingThrough.net

The fact that a band spawned over ten years ago is so willing to try new things is refreshing, but with The Woods, Sleater-Kinney has surpassed even its most ardent supporter’s expectations as to the artistic heights the trio can attain.

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Entertainment Weekly

While it's surprising to hear Sleater-Kinney act so traditional, it's more shocking how well such conventions suit them. [27 May 2005, p.135]

Village Voice

Previous albums have never quite captured those onstage moments when the power they generate seems to catch them unawares, but on The Woods you can hear not only the deliberation in Weiss's eyes as she ponders the exact placement of beat and crash, or Brownstein's bedroom-mirror rock-star poses, but also the stunned grin Tucker can never contain after emitting her most gravity-defiant shrieks.

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Junkmedia

Although an extreme statement, it is a major stylistic step forward for the band and pays off great dividends to those so inclined to follow them into The Woods.

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All Music Guide

This may be the band's most self-assured sounding work yet -- their music has never lacked confidence and daring, but now they sound downright swaggering.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

Although hard to digest at first, The Woods ingratiates itself on subsequent listens, making the band's other albums seem half-baked by comparison.

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Pitchfork

Despite the new song structures, guitar solos, and drum fills, Brownstein's guitar still roars wildly, Weiss's drums still thunder, and Tucker still wails with a primal urgency that is one of the most compelling sounds in rock music today.

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Dusted Magazine

A musical tour-de-force, and probably Sleater-Kinney’s best album to date.... If it lacks the immediate appeal and accessibility of One Beat or All Hands on the Bad One, it feels more mature and meaningful than either.

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PopMatters

A record that sounds as if it would be very much at home on any AOR radio station in the 1970s.

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Prefix Magazine

Not only does The Woods jumpstart a moribund genre, it also serves as a wake-up call for the zeitgeist.

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Tiny Mix Tapes

The vicious licks laid down by Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker on "The Fox" are as punchy as anything I've heard them come up with, approaching something like Jack White if Jack White fell in love with The Experience instead of his Johnson. Amazingly, The Woods just picks up from there.

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Drowned In Sound

Skull-crushingly heavy, but not without a heart, 'The Woods' is definitely Sleater-Kinney’s finest (and loudest) hour to date.

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The Wire

Even when the songs aren't motivated by anger or frustration, they have a drive and a momentum that's breathtaking. [#256, p.52]

Austin Chronicle

Fans may have to have The Woods surgically removed from their players. It's just that powerful, demanding to be heard.

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Lost At Sea

It is incensed, dark with disappointment, and shows a startling new side to Sleater-Kinney; while its intensity makes it one of their best albums to date, it isn’t here to make friends or fans.

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Filter

The stunning One Beat of 2002 is a tough act to follow, and The Woods pulls it off soundly (though not exceedingly) by slicing together another improbable mash of grace and chaos all in the service of elaborately unhinged melodies. [#15, p.95]

The Guardian

Though the guitars sometimes get a little too intoxicated on their new freedom, this is a makeover that finally does the band's melodies proud.

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Blender

Valhalla, they are coming! [Jun 2005, p.114]

Uncut

This isn't mere sonic overload; Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein's vocals are still towering. [Jun 2005, p.107]

Amazon.com

A smoldering rock and roll record that rivals John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band and Nirvana’s In Utero in terms of unexpectedness.

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Rolling Stone

Some of the best and heaviest music of its career. [2 Jun 2005, p.70]

Paste Magazine

The trio delights in creating songs just to tear them down and rebuild them again in a different way, giving the album a dissonant, experimental edge.

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Drawer B

Not exactly radio friendly, The Woods explores sonic deconstruction a la Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix instead of the preciously catchy indie pop hooks you’ve come to expect.

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New Musical Express

Undoubtedly the one Sleater-Kinney album that everyone should have. [21 May 2005, p.66]

E! Online

The Woods seems like a retreat into the '90s, playing up the grunge and angst of the band's Northwestern stomping grounds.

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No Ripcord

The Woods is solid, well crafted and intensely energetic, but a magnum opus it is not.

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Stylus Magazine

The ridiculous in-the-red ruckus keeps you from noticing how hokey and contradictory the lyrics are.

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Under The Radar

The Woods feels almost nostalgic, exalting the era when noisemakers Nirvana, Sonic Youth, NIN, Fugazi and PJ Harvey were the touchstones of artistic merit. [#9]

Q Magazine

Compared to their early work, disappointing. [Jun 2005, p.118]

Splendid

The least interesting, least engaging Sleater-Kinney album ever.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 157 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Mike L gave it a10:
Amazing. Still an absolutely amazing record.

leon s gave it a10:
A couple of years on and I still cant stop listerning

Andy P gave it a10:
Great from beginning to end, even if the poor mastering gets annoying once in a while. Really captures the intensity of their live show. Sad to see them go, and glad I caught them at Lollapalooza first.

tim e gave it a10:
What a fond farewell to the greatest band of the decade.

hannah b gave it a10:
incredible album from the greatest girl group ever. a move away from punk, but still outrageous and as intense as always. i saw them live (thank god, as they've since disbanded) and they were unbelieveable.

Ian C gave it a10:
Sleater-Kinney may be an acquired taste, but anyone who can't appreciate this is beyond hope. The songs and production are fantastic, and the execution takes everything up another level. Forget about every other rock band-- S-K is the only one that matters.

Nick T gave it a10:
Sleater-Kinney, after 7 amazing albums, is still one of the most genuine bands working today. With "The Woods" they instill a sense of growth within long-time listeners. Corin's vocals alone are worth mountains of praise, but the amount of depth in this album and the growth from "One Beat" is inspiring. The girls just make their job look so easy.

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