Maze of Woods

Maze of Woods
Studio album by
Inventions
ReleasedMarch 17, 2015 (2015-03-17)
Length40:08
Label
Producer
  • Matthew Cooper
  • Mark T. Smith
Inventions chronology
Inventions
(2014) 		Maze of Woods
(2015) 		Blanket Waves
(2015)

Maze of Woods is the second studio album by Inventions, a collaborative project between Matthew Cooper and Mark T. Smith. It was released on March 17, 2015, through Temporary Residence Limited and Bella Union. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.[1]

Background

Inventions consists of Matthew Cooper, also known as Eluvium, and Mark T. Smith of Explosions in the Sky.[2] Maze of Woods is a follow-up to the duo's debut studio album, Inventions (2014).[3] It is inspired by the final paragraph of Denis Johnson's novella Train Dreams.[4] Music videos were released for the songs "Springworlds"[5][6] and "Peregrine".[7]

Maze of Woods was released on March 17, 2015, through Temporary Residence Limited in the United States,[8] and through Bella Union in the United Kingdom.[9] The digital edition of the album comes with a three-song EP containing remixes of the album's songs by The Field, Leyland Kirby, and A Winged Victory for the Sullen.[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic68/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
DIY[12]
Drowned in Sound8/10[13]
Exclaim!5/10[14]
The Line of Best Fit6.5/10[15]
MusicOMH[16]
Pitchfork7.6/10[17]
The 4058/10[18]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Maze of Woods received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 from 9 critic scores.[1]

Brian Howe of Pitchfork stated, "For all of its dreamy moods, Maze of Woods frequently edges toward electronic pop, and is more expansive and dynamic than the debut."[17] Fred Thomas of AllMusic described the album as "an enthusiastic and farther-reaching second chapter to their quickly developing sound."[11] Max Raymond of MusicOMH commented that "It certainly feels like a mellower, more wistful album than its predecessor, even if it isn't quite compelling for the full duration of its running time."[16]

James Appleyard of The Line of Best Fit stated, "On Maze of Woods, Inventions have genuinely tried to sonically challenge themselves and in the process manage to create moments of genuine beauty."[15] He added, "The artistry is unquestionable, but ultimately the indulgence of the album's creation seems to have fogged Invention's original vision."[15] Scott Simpson of Exclaim! commented that "There's very little on offer to ground the listener here, which makes Maze of Woods a challenging collection; it's the aural equivalent of a 90-minute movie that feels like a 3-hour watch."[14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Matthew Cooper and Mark T. Smith.

Maze of Woods track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Escapers"3:45
2."Springworlds"4:53
3."Peregrine"6:00
4."Slow Breathing Circuit"4:06
5."A Wind from All Directions"5:08
6."Wolfkids"4:23
7."Moanmusic"5:27
8."Feeling the Sun Thru the Earth at Night"6:23
Total length:40:08
Digital edition bonus tracks[19]
No.TitleLength
9."Peregrine" (The Field remix)9:17
10."Springworlds" (Leyland Kirby remix)4:54
11."Slow Breathing Circuit" (A Winged Victory for the Sullen remix)6:07
Total length:60:26

Notes

  • "Peregrine" contains a sample from "Teasing Song" by Elisabeth Tittusen.[20]
  • "Peregrine" also contains a sample from "Singing Game" by Kûitse Andersen and Malene Andersen.[20]
  • "Feeling the Sun Thru the Earth at Night" is inspired by Tao Line.[20]

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[20]

  • Matthew Cooper – performance, production, art direction
  • Mark T. Smith – performance, production, art direction
  • Noel Summerville – mastering
  • Jeremy deVine – layout
  • C&GS Season's Report Scaife 1924 – photography
  • C&GS Season's Report Heck 1920–1945 – photography

References

  1. ^ a b c "Maze of Woods by Inventions". Metacritic. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  2. ^ Adams, Gregory (February 5, 2015). "Inventions "Springworlds" (video)". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  3. ^ Mufson, Beckett (February 5, 2015). "[Premiere] Watch Inventions' Stormy New Video for 'Springworlds'". Vice. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  4. ^ Eede, Christian (February 9, 2015). "LISTEN: Inventions – Peregrine". The Quietus. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  5. ^ Hosken, Patrick (February 5, 2015). "Inventions – "Springworlds" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  6. ^ Gordon, Jeremy (February 5, 2015). "Inventions (Explosions in the Sky, Eluvium Members) Share Animated "Springworlds" Video". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  7. ^ Adams, Sean (March 24, 2015). "Explosions in Your Nightmares: Inventions 'Peregrine'". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  8. ^ Minsker, Evan (January 13, 2015). "Inventions (Explosions in the Sky, Eluvium Members) Announce Maze of Woods, Share "Springworlds"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  9. ^ Rettig, James (January 13, 2015). "Inventions – "Springworlds"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  10. ^ Hughes, Josiah (January 13, 2015). "Members of Explosions in the Sky and Eluvium Announce Second Album as Inventions". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on June 7, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  11. ^ a b Thomas, Fred. "Maze of Woods - Inventions". AllMusic. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  12. ^ Haines, Louis (March 15, 2015). "Inventions – Maze Of Woods". DIY. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  13. ^ Macmillan, Pieter J. (March 10, 2015). "Album Review: Inventions - Maze of Woods". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  14. ^ a b Simpson, Scott (March 13, 2015). "Inventions". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  15. ^ a b c Appleyard, James (March 9, 2015). "Inventions - Maze of Woods". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on May 11, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  16. ^ a b Raymond, Max (March 10, 2015). "Inventions – Maze Of Woods". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  17. ^ a b Howe, Brian (March 19, 2015). "Inventions: Maze of Woods". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  18. ^ Keon, Troy (March 9, 2015). "Inventions - Maze of Woods". The 405. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  19. ^ "Maze of Woods | Inventions". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  20. ^ a b c d Inventions (2015). Maze of Woods (CD booklet). Temporary Residence Limited.

Further reading

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