STICK FIGURE “Free Flow Sessions” (Ruffwood Records)
Stick Figure’s latest release is a dub-style reggae album showcasing pristine production of multi-instrumental riddims. The 12 tracks clock in at just 33 minutes, and only a few feature founder and front man Scott Woodruff’s smooth-rapping vocal style–a key component of the band’s overall laidback vibe and burgeoning fanbase. Sleigh bells set the backbeat on “Walking In My Shoes” with Woodruff repeating “You don’t know how it feels / to be walking in my shoes” before a rapid-fire verse delivery and soulful guitar solo. “Welcome to My World” also drops in snippets of Woodruff’s vocals, making it another album highlight. Other tracks without vocals, although groovy, sound more like reggae muzak compared to Stick Fig’s spectacular seven album back catalog. For instance, “Rude Boy Riddim,” “Forever” and “Sticky Situation,” featuring a bright horn section, never get beyond a reggae-light feel. “Dub Style Blues” also layers horns over the grooves, but would best be used as the opening track played over the PA before the curtain rises on the band’s set. The most satisfying track is “This Is What We Came Here For.” With its slinky rhythm and full verse-chorus-verse composition, it sounds like a song that could appear on any past non dub-style albums and would play great live.
6/10
-Jason Scales
This review was originally published in the December 2025 issue of Illinois Entertainer magazine. Click here and navigate to page 17 to see it there.
