Donovan Woods’ newest EP, Squander Your Gifts, invites listeners into moments of grief and reflection. The five-song collection, released on Feb. 27, spans 16 minutes but carries an emotional weight that lasts beyond its runtime.
The EP is about the loss of Donovans’ friend Abe, who passed away unexpectedly two years ago. In an Instagram post ahead of the release, Donovan said the EP is “about our creative gifts and whether we have any obligation to share them.”
“I Talk About You” opens the record with the blow of a sombre harmonica and a stripped-back sound. Donovan’s voice is crisp and unfiltered, with each line sung clearly and spaced out, allowing the lyrics to settle in with the listener.
“Do It Right” builds slightly with an acoustic guitar, but the rawness of Donovan’s vocals remains clear. The song explores how to move forward after loss and whether to carry everything or risk doing too little. Vocals from Anaïs Mitchell, who is featured later on the album, weave through the chorus, providing a soft contrast to Donovan.
On “These Things Happen,” Donovan shifts more toward the country genre, featuring a fiddle and fuller band arrangement. The track moves between a series of stories, including a famous woman, a child in Tulsa, a girl in Dallas, and a friend lost too soon. The song builds on the theme of loss and shows how grief can settle into acceptance.
Sung in the first person, “Who Could Love You” brings a sharper edge, both in its lyrics and sound. This comes through in Donovans’ enunciation of consonants, singing each word that starts with a “C” in a crisp tone. The song explores love through a lens of uncertainty and longing, balancing confidence with vulnerability.
The EP closes with “Losing Everything” featuring Anaïs. The song has a fuller sound that is almost symphonic, while keeping the vocals grounded. Donovan’s darker tone contrasts Anaïs’ higher vocals, particularly in the final verse where their voices intertwine. As the song builds, it shifts toward something more hopeful, offering a sense of release after the heaviness that precedes it.
Across Squander Your Gifts, Donovan takes time to let each lyric and instrument stand on its own, making for a record that feels both personal and relatable. The album captures sitting with grief instead of neatly tying it up.
Donovan is currently on tour across ON throughout April, with East Coast dates in NB and NS beginning in June, followed by shows in the U.K. and Europe in October. He will also join The Paper Kites on tour throughout May.
