Whilst exploring the Midwest emo genre last year, I became obsessed with the band Oakwood. Sadly, their Spotify discography only includes nine tracks, all released a decade (or more) ago. That is, until last week, when Oakwood returned, entirely unannounced, with a surprise new single.
‘Footnote,’ like many other Oakwood songs, showcases the band’s ability to accomplish something at once aggressive and beautiful. More than any other Midwest emo I’ve encountered, Oakwood retains a pleasant, melodic musicality whilst never singing a note. In terms of lyrics, ‘Footnote’ has Oakwood’s typical yearning, screamed phrases. Melodically, the single’s intro is similar (if not identical) to that of 2013’s ‘I Used to Have Two Penpals’. However, after such a long drought in Oakwood’s releases, this similarity was surprisingly comforting.
I loved nearly everything about ‘Footnote’’s on-brand return. The single’s only flaw was its lack of the low-quality 2010s-ness of the band’s earlier releases. This raw, independent sound is part of what makes me love Oakwood’s music so much. Despite this single’s otherwise familiarity, its improved production makes it feel less so. Regardless, this song is great, and if you haven’t, go listen to Oakwood’s entire discography – it won’t even take you 20 minutes.