The moniker of Toronto singer-songwriter Madeline Link, Packs pulls this off in relatively quick fashion with the Woah EP. Even though there are eight tracks on the record, a majority of the songs run under the two minute mark. The music is very stripped down due to Link simply singing while strumming an acoustic guitar.

There are certain backing harmonies coming in at various instances, which I’m pretty sure was included in post-production. Overall it’s genuine music created over a bare bones canvas that’s not trying to go beyond the sum of its parts. It’s easy to listen to due to the rapid succession of the songs, I literally went through listening to the EP on repeat roughly five times while writing this. The overall aesthetic reminds me of Kimya Dawson along with Nick Drake as well.

“Don’t Go For The Goat’s Milk” is the longest track on the EP and it’s probably the most substantial. It’s got a really good hook while riding along the organic melodies. There’s some sort of country ballad vibe within “Who Will It Be” that I like, it’s not embarrassingly corny or abrasively twangy either which is nice. The harmonies really make “Heaved” stand out as the chords become the anchor for the arrangements. “Turn The Tap” and “Tilted Crowd” are other highlights within the record.

There’s nothing outlandish or out of the ordinary with this release, which isn’t a bad thing. The music within the Woah EP is honest and real while telling quick little stories. It’s pure acoustic based singer-songwriter stuff that anyone who cares about the craft would appreciate. No filler and no frills is the basic description, which is a lot more you can say versus all of the overproduced crap out there. If you’re the type who likes someone strumming their six-string and keeping things intimate then check out this release.

Order Woah by Packs HERE