Woodsman are a weird band. I know that’s the ‘point’ of these avant-garde wall-of-noise rock bands, but pioneers such as Animal Collective, Atlas Sound and maybe even Pocahaunted contain at least something that allows you to interpret what’s going on and allow you to answer that weak-kneed question your ‘less-cool’ friends always seem to ask: ‘it’s just noise’.

Denver, Colorado’s (slash Brooklyn, New York according to their MySpace) Trevor, Eston, Mark and Dylan take you on a jam-packed musical journey screaming of primal soundscapes and deep jungle rhythms. Opener ‘Insects’ see the band take on the art form of the human voice as lyrics run wild throughout the reverb and captivating riff, and it works: I’ve always believed that vocals can heighten a track, and Woodsman demonstrate this beautifully. It’s not about the lyrics on display at all – it’s about the way they intertwine with the sound to create new layers, keeping it fresh and intriguing.

There’s almost a math-rock-esque vibe to the last few seconds, paving the way for something perhaps more danceable than we might expect, but ‘Dead Awake’ quickly dashes that thought with a much darker, much more brooding and echoing chant which transports us from hot and humid day in to the dark underworld jungle of tribes and rituals.

The theme continues, with the next few tracks aligning themselves with the slower, more ferocious side of this feral sonorousness. It’s like all the energy that was needed in producing the lovely ‘Insects’ was completely depleted, never to be seen again. But then suddenly we’re given ‘Spectral Creatures’, a manic minute-and-a-half that teases with it’s frantic, flying sounds reminiscent of a drone/world music collaboration.

For the remainder of the album, we essentially get more of the same formula. Vocals make a return on both ‘I Can’t Move’ and ‘Beat The Heat’, the latter being the most accessible track of the album with an established melody and incredibly catchy Noah Lennox-like “beat the heat” croon.

If there’s one genre that’s simply dried up in the last year, it’s chillwave. A genre that’ll probably come out again in the summer with a couple of buzzbands who will probably never live up to the hype, it’s reassuring to know that bands like Woodsman are out there continuing to offer something truly alternative. They may be weird, and it may be an acquired taste – but if you can aquire it, you’re going to love it, as this is definitely one of the most unique records of the last year by far.