Reviews for “the wood”
Review by Plastic Mag
Based in the Mary Valley of Queensland, Amanda Emblem has been walking her own path in the Australian music landscape under the artistic banner of The Amanda Emblem Experiment. A singer-songwriter, guitarist and performer with a sound that flows between blues, rock, folk, Americana, soul, and roots, her work carries the hallmarks of versatility and timeless songwriting. Since first introducing her music in 2018 with her debut EP Bitten, she’s continued to explore new ground with each release, building a body of work that feels as personal as it does expansive.
Review by Pulse HUtch
What makes The Wood resonate deeply is not just its sonic craft but also its grounding in place and experience. Written largely at a beachside retreat surrounded by the natural world, the album is infused with the simplicity and rhythm of rural and coastal living. Acoustic guitars, flute, harmonica, and layered vocal harmonies create an organic soundscape that mirrors the themes Emblem explores, cycles of nature, human connection, and the contradictions of modern existence.
Review by IndieTapes
Her voice has a narrative character with an almost euphoric touch that’s simply irresistible. Besides the interplay of guitar and vocals, the fabulous percussion and flute melodies also make a strong impression. They add a slightly exotic flair to the music and give ‘The Wood’ a clear sense of identity.
Review by Music News Monthly
Amanda Emblem has released her fourth studio album, The Wood. Taking the title from one of the tracks on the record it is a theme that links the collection together with a sense of continuity.
The album is built around acoustic instruments. With fingerpicked guitar which is central to the sound, joined by slide guitar, harmonica, and even the flute. Uncluttered arrangements keeping the focus very much on voice and melody. The Wood is a very clever piece of work, with Amanda’s skilful storytelling exploring reflective themes, and at times drawing upon personal observations giving an authentic and very personal feeling to the album.
Review by COCOMYRRH
Amanda Emblem Experiment just released her fourth album The Wood, a collection of deeply personal, place rooted songs that carry the scent of salt air and the warmth of woodsmoke. It’s a musical love letter to creative freedom and the people/places that shapes us.
The album titled inspired by one of the tracks on the album sets the tone; earthy, reflective and full of quiet reverence. Inspired by the pine kitchen table where it came to life and the White Cedar guitar it was composed on. The song really carries a physical connection to nature that’s almost spiritual. It is more than melody; it’s a symbol of renewal. Of artistry born from nature. Of music that literally grows from the land.
Review by NEW INDIE RADAR
Es ist genau die Art von Musik, die ich am liebsten höre, wenn ich mich auf einen Roadtrip aufmache oder mein Stammpub betrete: ehrlicher, authentischer und handgemachter Indie Folk mit gehaltvollen Texten, abwechslungsreichen Rhythmen und originellen Texturen.
Das alles erwartet euch im neuen Album ‘The Wood’, welches uns die begabte australische Künstlerin The Amanda Emblem Experiment heute früh präsentierte. Es ist ein Werk, das elf Songs auf Basis von Vocals und Gitarre enthüllt und dank eindrucksvoller Melodien direkt ins Ohr geht. Mal sind es die entschleunigten und gefühlsbetonten Tracks, mal die schnelleren, temperamentvolleren Passagen, die ihr Publikum in den Bann ziehen.
Review by the big takeover
I must confess, to my shame, that I only came across The Amanda Emblem Experiment recently. The single, “Storm in My Life,” found its way to my review pile, and I loved everything about its lovely and lilting, upbeat and acoustic ways.
Of course, one single does not an album make, and that is the fun of dropping the virtual needle on a digital long-player and seeing where it takes you. The opening track, “Hanging Flute,” seems to transport us into a strange 1960s hybrid of cosmic country, progressive folk, and chamber music. Intriguing stuff indeed. Almost like an early Jethro Tull piece, which is unexpectedly cool and coolly unexpected!
Review by bERLIN oN aIR
Ich war direkt beim Anspielen dieses Albums von einem lebendigen, originellen Folk Sound gefesselt, weshalb ich es mir keines Falls neben lassen konnte euch hier vorzustellen:
‘The Wood’ ist das brandneu erschienene Werk der talentierten australischen Künstlerin The Amanda Emblem Experiment, das heute veröffentlicht wurde und mit insgesamt elf Tracks reichlich Wellen in der Akustikszene schlägt. Beeindruckend ist, wie wunderbar sich die gefühlvollen Vocals den warmen Klängen der Gitarre ergänzen. Zum Vorschein kommt ein sehr geerdeter, melodischer und auch rhythmischer Stil, der sein Publikum schnell in einen lockeren Groove versetzt.
Review by ROADIE MUSIC
Review by A98 Studios
Sometimes, a single song doesn’t prepare you for the journey ahead. That’s exactly what happened when I listened to The Amanda Emblem Experiment’s album, “The Wood.” While its initial single had an upbeat, acoustic charm, the full album is a much deeper and more varied musical journey that left me wanting more.
The album welcomes you with a sound that seems to come from another era, where folk meets chamber music and psychedelic influences. It’s a quirky, bold, and incredibly interesting opening. From there, the music moves with impressive grace, navigating effortlessly between genres. Each song is a new sonic landscape, an invitation to explore a different facet of the artist’s talent, from pure folk to hints of 1960s rock. It’s an album that refuses to be pigeonholed and surprises you at every turn.
Review by HAIL TUNES
Review by Indie O’Clock
The Amanda Emblem Experiment acaba de lançar seu novo e poderoso álbum, trabalho de folk excepcional que nos faz sentir vivos e que traz muito talento, cheio de qualidade e com sonoridades que nos fazem flutuar, simplesmente um espetáculo.
The Wood é o nome do novo álbum de trabalho do sensacional e super revelação do folk, The Amanda Emblem Experiment, um disco de 11 canções que nos fazem viajar e viver uma verdadeira experiência musica que nos inspira e nos deixa em contato com nós mesmos e nossas origens.
Review by THE MUSICAL ROAD
Review by Illustrate Magazine
Australian songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Amanda Emblem, under the banner of The Amanda Emblem Experiment, has unveiled her new album, The Wood. This body of work is steeped in reflection, nature, and the nuances that connect man with nature through music, just as enigmatic and intuitive.
Review by THE END SESSIONS
Review by Loop Solitaire
Amanda Emblem’s new album The Wood is more than a collection of songs; it’s a living diary shaped by place, philosophy, and a deep connection to the land and sea. Written across a backdrop of rural solitude and coastal serenity in Australia, the project captures Amanda’s evolving world and distills it into earthy tones, thoughtful lyrics, and emotionally rich soundscapes.
Review by cheers to the vikings
This album is a journey worth taking, and I encourage everyone to dive in headfirst. The Amanda Emblem Experiment’s new album “The Wood” feels like sitting down with music that’s both timeless and deeply personal. Amanda has this rare way of making her songs sound raw and alive, yet so carefully crafted at the same time. Her voice is rich and warm, guiding you through melodies that stick with you long after the last note fades. What really stood out to me is how natural everything feels, just real instruments, real atmosphere, nothing overdone.
You hear the slide guitar, the flute, the harmonica, and it all fits together in a way that feels organic, almost like a gathering around a wooden table with friends. There’s a gentleness here, but also strength in the songwriting and it makes the whole record easy to sink into. Honestly, I love this album. It’s beautiful, honest and full of soul and Amanda’s talent shines through on every song.
Review by DULAXI
“The Wood” is the fourth original album by The Amanda Emblem Experiment, released on September 1st, 2025. It is a contemporary and atmospheric folk project that leans heavily on acoustic textures, with fingerpicked guitar, slide, harmonica, and flute guiding much of its sound. Amanda’s blend of folk, blues, roots, and soul comes together seamlessly here, with an emphasis on simplicity and authenticity. The record is rich in storytelling and reflective themes, offering listeners an intimate and thoughtful experience. For Amanda, albums are not just collections of songs but bodies of work that capture an artist’s ongoing thoughts, beliefs, and personal evolution, and “The Wood” stands firmly in that tradition.
Review by Biography Web
According to the artist, The Wood” was first inspired by the pine kitchen table at which it was written, but upon closer investigation, it reveals a far deeper underlying concept. It is a musical product of the wonderful instrument on which it was written, her White Cedar Guitar, which was handcrafted by local luthier Karl Venz using wood from her property that had been struck by lightning. The rich tones and visual enjoyment of this instrument are breathtaking. Amanda never tires of playing this instrument, which was given to me by her partner Jimmy, but there’s more to ‘The Wood’ than just making it the title tune of my collection.
Review by cinematic giants
Amanda Emblem doesn’t write albums so much as she accumulates them. She works through songs like they’re assignments, letting them pile up until something has to be done. That process drives The Wood, a collection written off-grid in a beach town. The album sounds more shaped by time spent off-grid than by any concern for the industry clock.
Review by MEI News
According to the artist, The Wood” was first inspired by the pine kitchen table at which it was written, but upon closer investigation, it reveals a far deeper underlying concept. It is a musical product of the wonderful instrument on which it was written, her White Cedar Guitar, which was handcrafted by local luthier Karl Venz using wood from her property that had been struck by lightning. The rich tones and visual enjoyment of this instrument are breathtaking. Amanda never tires of playing this instrument, which was given to me by her partner Jimmy, but there’s more to ‘The Wood’ than just making it the title tune of my collection.
Review by Medium
Review by Mesmerized
A wholesome, relatable and rather idyllic album, ‘The Wood’ carries a particular connection with nature, as its title eloquently implies. Written by Australian singer-songwriter Amanda Emblem, the record is the natural landing spot of an artistic journey that’s often flourished on the fringe, in deep harmony with its author’s fierce and community-driven ethos. Usually found working her farm land and feeding “spray-free veggies” to her locals, Amanda felt the need to take a break from the hustle of rural life.