Todd Adelman - Todd Adelman And The Woodsmen

​Todd Adelman

Todd Adelman And The Woodsmen
self-released; 2026

By Matt Jensen
​

Country music has always depended on repetition. The same instruments, chord changes, roadside bars, broken promises, and hard-earned consolations have passed between generations, with each group searching for a personal variation within the form. On their self-titled album, Todd Adelman and the Woodsmen make no attempt to disguise their debt to that history. Instead, they concentrate on sturdy melodies, economical storytelling, and the chemistry of four veteran musicians who understand how much can be accomplished with familiar materials.

Adelman handles vocals and guitar alongside guitarist Danny Blume, bassist Jeff Hill, and drummer John Valesio. Steel guitar, organ, accordion, and fiddle broaden the arrangements as the record moves through country rock, folk, blues, honky-tonk, and bluegrass. Recorded at Adelman’s analog studio outside Woodstock, the album possesses the directness of musicians responding to one another in the room. The performances are polished, but enough looseness remains to keep the songs moving.


“This Rounds on Me” opens with a timeless folk-country construction and a melody that I could sing along with almost immediately. Its warm barroom camaraderie provides a natural entrance into the record. “Kind of Woman (Who Makes the Morning Look Good)” raises the energy through an appealing hook, while “A Little Too Close” works from the established vocabulary of classic country rock. Its moves are recognizable, but the execution is strong.

“Ordinary People” returns the focus to storytelling before album highlight “Hot as the Hinges” supplies one of the album’s liveliest and most danceable performances. “All the Hippie Bluegrass” reaches further back into traditional country and bluegrass while adding some humor to the sequence. I also enjoyed the relaxed attitude of “Lucky So Far.” On “The Devil Will Not Haunt Me Anymore,” Adelman enters darker territory. Its ominous Americana atmosphere reminded me of something that could have opened an episode from the first season of True Detective. “Mini-Bar Blues” picks the tempo back up, and “Front Porch Livin’” closes the album by joining fond recollection with domestic warmth.

​The Woodsmen clearly love country music and spend these ten songs moving among its neighboring forms. Wilco’s early alt-country records provide an obvious reference point, along with the older country-rock tradition that informed them. There are few surprises in the band’s instrumental palette or songwriting approach, and listeners familiar with the genre will recognize many of these choices. The distinction comes through craft rather than reinvention. The production is clean, the hooks are dependable, and the musicians consistently serve the songs. Todd Adelman and the Woodsmen is a well-made record by players who know the tradition from the inside and remain devoted to its possibilities.

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