Maps

Reuniting with producer Kenny Segal, billy woods released Maps, an album inspired by his touring experiences, in 2023. Less focused on political and historical subjects than woods 2022 albums, Maps is a sort of travelogue, with lyrics mainly written and recorded on the road. Delivered through the haze of an irregular sleep schedule, the songs detail the alienation of spending weeks away from home, constantly shuttling between unfamiliar locations and occasionally having unpleasant incidents with authority figures or venue workers. Tracks like the intro "Kenwood Speakers" and wobbly, Selected Ambient Works Volume II-sampling "Babylon by Bus" describe existence in corporate America and traveling through soon-to-be-gentrified areas. Other songs address anxiety and stage pressure, with the Gil Scott Heron-like "Soundcheck" mentioning forgetting lyrics during every show. Smoking helps woods get through it all; as he repeats on "Houdini," "I was high all day, I escaped." Future Islands Samuel T. Herring sings about the strange comfort of tour loneliness for the misty chorus to "Facetime." Danny Brown provides a lengthy, exuberant guest verse during the warped, noisy "Year Zero," bursting in fits of laughter by the end. Other guests on the album include Aesop Rock, Quelle Chris, and Elucid, woods partner in the duo Armand Hammer. Maps is one of woods most accessible and relatable efforts, containing some of his clearest, most vivid narratives. ~ Paul Simpson