Edison Woods

The sophomore album for Edison Woods continues in that niche of slow, wandering, delicate melodies that seem innocently stoned — not in a hurry to get anywhere, easily distracted and prone to tangents, but somehow sweet and charming in the right mood. At home in New York, Edison Woods — the creative outlet for Julia Frodahl — combines music with performance art and theatre performances, and there is a sense that Seven Principles of Leave No Trace is missing some context, like listening to the score of a film you’ve never seen. Not as super-slow as Low, not as gleefully dismissive of pop structure as Dirty Three, and not as engaging as Goldfrapp, Edison Woods nevertheless dips a toe in these various waters before skittering off again. Not quickly, mind you, never at a pace faster than a brisk crawl, but still moved by a creative impulse that follows its heart, even if it’s only to chase the lure of a glittery bauble.