The strings make their presence appreciated right from the beginning of the album's first track, "Honey That Was Me." This is the song that gives the album its title, with the lines "It was me in the woods keeping watch through the night/It was me softly calling in the moon's sacred light/And all those things you love and fear, hiding in the trees/All that time it wasn't what you thought, honey, that was me." There is a sweet beauty to this song, and a comforting vibe. Yet simultaneously, under that, there is something perhaps disturbing in the lyrics, in someone being watched without knowing, and with a phrase like "a hunter looking for his game" with its hints of danger and violence. The song could be taken as a strange sort of confession from a person who fancies himself a guardian angel, and perhaps is. Mike Berman's voice is one we naturally trust, and that is perhaps why the song can be unsettling. Don't they say it's the person you'd least expect? The strings are present from the beginning of "Hospital For The Brokenhearted" too, some wonderful work on cello. This track features nice work on guitar too, and a gentle vocal approach. A voice that is soothing, yet with an ache. It's like an ache that he tries to heal with the song itself. "In the garden the sun is shining/On the wounded ones wandering through/So come on down to the hospital/Maybe I'll see you." I also love these lines: "Doctors stare with tired eyes/Their hearts have all been broken too." Ah, can the broken heal the broken? Maybe only they can. This song is welcoming, welcoming all of us. Mike Berman's voice is perfect for that. This song was released as a single in September.
"Hold Back The Sea" was also released as a single, this one in August. There is a stronger energy to this one, with some excellent work on electric guitar and a steady drum beat. "Because there's no holding back the sea/The works we build are washed away, we can't stop the waves, you and me/No matter how we dig, the walls we raise, the lines we rig, it's all futility/There's nothing that will hold back the sea." Now those are some lines we can relate to, lines we can appreciate, lines that seem to perfectly capture our feelings of this time, and Mike's delivery has more power. I love that those lines work both literally and figuratively. This is a compelling number. And isn't there something oddly comforting in the knowledge that nature will win in the end? I love Elissa Barron's backing vocals near the end. Then some pretty guitar work opens "Coop The Hawk," accompanied by some moving work on strings. This song, about a hawk here in the city (which of course makes me think of the band I See Hawks In L.A.), has a wonderful folk vibe. "The noise and rumble from the freeway nearby/Sometimes seems to grind at me/Still Coop flies high in the breeze blowing by/And I'm standing by his favorite tree." Adding to the delightful, sweet vibe of this song is a little whistling following those lines. There is something appealing in watching a bird soaring above us in the city. And, if the world stops for just a moment, we can feel ourselves up there with the bird. This song has that feeling, reaching up with our hearts.
The jangly guitar work at the beginning of "Get Me 'Cross The River" sets a certain tone, creates a certain flavor, touching upon another time. "My wallet can't afford the ocean" is a line that stands out to me, making me think of those days when I decided not to go to the beach because parking costs too much. And speaking of parking, here are other lines that catch my ear: "Stockton in spring is not too bad/If there's a place for me to park." But my absolute favorite lines from this song are these: "Your heart's a mystery/And the clues are hide to find/Would you explain this plot to me/Say you want me/And I'll turn this van around." This song was written by Debora Ewing, Mike Berman and Elissa Barron. It's followed by "A Willing Mind." I love the opening lines: "With a willing mind/And a tender heart/A man is doomed/Right from the start." And the lines are delivered with a gentle honesty that makes us know he has such a heart and is one who is doomed himself. Ah, we recognize our own, don't we? That's what this music seems to tell us, reaching out to us from a similar place. And it features not only a tender and beautiful vocal performance, but some wonderful guitar work. "I have no choice/But to fall apart."
Mike Berman then gets into the blues with "Farthest Thing From The Blues," a song I remember enjoying at one of his shows last year. It even opens with that classic blues phrase, "I woke up this morning." Here he tells us, "Well, all around me looks like everything is going down/Stock market tumbling and my friends are all leaving town/But with all going round, I'm still making a happy sound." Oh yes, we can appreciate lines of resilience. And then the song kicks in, and begins to have a jump to its rhythm. And guess what? It's because of a woman. And isn't that the truth? With all that insanity and garbage in this world, the look or touch from the right woman can make everything all right. "So much bad going round, I want to share some happy news." Yes, yes, yes! And the happy news is that woman, and we know just what he means. And Elissa Barron providing backing vocals helps make this song shine. She delivers some great work. The song also features a delicious lead on electric guitar. That's followed by the album's sole cover, Bruce Cockburn's "All The Ways I Want You," a song from his 1994 album Dart To The Heart. Mike's rendition features some pretty work on harmonica at the beginning and at key moments throughout the song. This is a really nice rendition.
"Tell The Bees" is a surprisingly moving song, one that will get you thinking, contemplating our place in this world. "We got it all wrong/We had the chance but now it's gone/Nothing left to say or do/Nothing to fix, nothing to prove." The line about how the bee keeper is gone, and the effect that has on the hive, might have you wondering if we are to look after the animals, or if we are in dominion over them, like one silly book seems to suggest. And in a larger context, it makes me wonder about the fate of humanity as a whole. When we are gone, animals will still be here. This track features perhaps the album's best vocal work, along with some beautiful work on strings. It's followed by "Out Beyond The Break," and this one too contemplates a future. "I'm thinking about time/The way the future leaves the past behind/Never looking back/Always seeking on." This track contains some pretty backing vocal work and lovely work on strings. It was written by Michael Eck and Mike Berman. The album then concludes with "Tell It To The River," written by Michael Berman and Elissa Barron. It's a touching number, featuring more beautiful work on strings. "The sadness of your smile/Barely serves as a disguise/Resting like a stone/On your tender heart/Until you let it go/Nothing good can start."
CD Track List
- Honey That Was Me
- Hospital For The Brokenhearted
- Hold Back The Sea
- Coop The Hawk
- Get Me' Cross The River
- A Willing Mind
- Farthest Thing From The Blues
- All The Ways I Want You
- Tell The Bees
- Out Beyond The Break
- Tell It To The River
In The Woods was released on CD on October 30, 2026 on Tanager Way Records. There is also a limited edition blue vinyl release available.
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