Donovan Woods jokes on stage that his songs have always peaked at number two, just shy of the top spot on CBC Radio 2’s Top 20, being upset by the likes of international superstars Gotye and Adele. This week, it’s Woods’ time to shine as his track “What Kind Of Love Is That?” makes a stand at #1 on the coveted national list. Woods’ latest album, Hard Settle, Ain’t Troubled, also debuted on the Canadian Billboard Top 20, landed at #5 on iTunes in Canada across all genres, and #1 on the singer-songwriter chart. In celebration, Woods is the sharing the new lyric video for the newly minted #1 track, “What Kind Of Love Is That?”.

It’s not just fans and radio hosts that are in tune with Woods, the critics also approve. The Globe And Mail called his album “a gentle, honest collection of melancholic observations and hushed tunefulness,” while NOW Magazine claimed it to be “wistful songs that tug at the heartstrings of anyone who’s had feelings about partners, ex-partners, where you’re from, where you shouldn’t have gone.” The Winnipeg Free Press insists that Woods has “a penchant for penning some of the most heartbreaking songs you’ll ever hear”, and Noisey says he has “a knack for taking huge, universal feelings and distilling them into simple, poignant moments.” Even the notoriously hard to please Absolute Punk said “Woods is a special talent and Hard Settle, Ain’t Troubled is a special album.”

With some of Woods’ songs receiving the country treatment, the attention has spilled out into international waters as well. Album track “Leaving Nashville” has recently found its way on the debut solo album from Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley. Rolling Stone calls the song “a stark, stunning ballad,” while Billboard described it as “an emotional wallop,” and a “beautiful song,” by New York Times.

Donovan Woods’ fourth studio album, Hard Settle, Ain’t Troubled, was produced by James Bunton (Evening Hymns, The Wooden Sky) and released on Woods’ own Meant Well Records. The album follows up his previous record, Don’t Get Too Grand, which was nominated for a JUNO Award. Currently on tour with Matt Andersen, fans only have a few more chances to catch Woods on this tour run with a handful of dates left to play in Ontario, Quebec, and the East Coast.

DONOVAN WOODS TOUR DATES WITH MATT ANDERSEN

Mar 23 – Quebec, QC – Imperial Bell
Mar 24 – Ottawa, ON – National Arts Centre – Southam Hall
Mar 25 – Montreal, QC – L’Astral
Apr 11 – Fredericton, NB – The Playhouse
Apr 12 – Fredericton, NB – The Playhouse
Apr 13 – Moncton, NB – Capitol Theatre
Apr 14 – Saint John, NB – Imperial Theatre
Apr 15 – Halifax, NS – Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
Apr 16 – Halifax, NS – Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
Apr 17 – Bernwick, NS – Union Street Cafe^

^ Solo Headlining Show