Needle

Jonathan Glen Wood seems as much a musician as he does the spirit of getting shit done. His second EP in less than 30 days during the final months of 2014, Wood is putting out quality content at an inspirational rate. Where “Alone” (released Nov. 27) served as a meditation on ambience and space, “Needle“ (released Dec. 18) is focused on his brand of austere country, still filtered through copious waves of drone sounds, but with plenty of folksy guitar. There is a pastoral quality to the music here that evokes an easy tranquility, the kind of serenity that he seemed to be looking for with “Alone” and found with “Needle.” The comparisons between the two are necessary. Rather than making a series of EPs that seem forced or derivative of each other, Wood has made dynamic recordings that open a dialogue not only with each other, but with the larger listening audience.