Listen: Wye Oak - "Evergreen"

photo by Shervin Lainez

Though diverging life paths have found them almost on completely opposite sides of the US, Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack have hardly let that deter their work together as Wye Oak. While they released their fifth full length album The Louder It Calls The Faster It Runs just last year, that's hardly kept them from offering up more new music and much like Civilian preceded their previous Adult Swim Single "Spiral", Wye Oak are offering up a new track for the Adult Swim Singles Program in the form of "Evergreen". A mere few weeks old according to Wasner, the track tackles a period of seasonal depression as Wasner struggles to align what she knows in her mind and how she feels in her body. Wasner concerns herself with the bits and bobs of holiday preparation and post holiday recuperation. "Evergreen" is essentially a rallying cry - gentle but firm with herself, that trying is the only thing you can do. Force isn't an effective strategy in matters both emotional and psychological and Wasner, armed with that hard won knowledge, sets about building herself back up slowly but surely purely by trying. "Evergreen" is a placid tug of war between the churning maelstrom of depressive thought and the shining beacon of self awareness and self worth. Much like "Lifer" or "It Was Not Natural", it's a delicate piece of emotion-laden songcraft that succeeds by virtue of sincerity and patient composition even as Wasner and Stack chase dynamic highs and lows.  

Listen to "Evergreen":

Watch: Wye Oak - "It Was Not Natural"

When former Baltimore duo Wye Oak revealed the details of their new album and released the titular "The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs", it marked not only a pleasant return to form as Jenn Wasner resumed her guitar duties after eschewing them on Shriek but also revealed a synthesis of the band's more electronic and pop leaning sensibilities from Shriek and Wasner's own Flock of Dimes project with the band's more organic, rock oriented output.

As the band continued to share more about the album, it became abundantly clear that this would be the band's most intimate. Wasner has always been exceptionally talented at providing lyrics that resonate on a personal level while maintaining largely universe and a bit vague but "It Was Not Natural" and "Lifer" found Wasner more boldly detailing the personal experiences that resulted in the song/album. Described by Wasner as a song about learning to push against the limits of our beliefs and the actual truth of things, "It Was Not Natural" is a somberer number than the album's triumphant first single. Originally detailing finding something on a walk in the forest, the song grows to encompass much more as this seemingly small discovery reveals an emotionally resonant conclusion. It's a conceit that in far less skillful hands would feel contrived but Wasner is able to imbue a sensibility into the would be avalanche of self doubt and self awareness that comes from trying to identify an unfamiliar object. Though it's part of the setup, the object itself is essentially a McGuffin, and the reasoning for the walk and its subsequent revelations forms the actual core point of the song. 
The video for "It Was Not Natural", by "The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs" director Dan Huiting, strives for both a literal and metaphorical application of the song as Wasner finds mundane takes like eating and reading imbued with a supernatural air. Wasner's response is varied but is largely a sort of indifferent acceptance like a peaceful coexistent with a ghost and it's hard not link that to the self acceptance both "It Was Not Natural" and other album cut "Lifer" espouse. While Wasner posits "with time it hasn't gotten any easier", the awareness of those more self destructive feelings lessens their power and  the video essentially ties up the loose ends from the song functioning as a counterpoint that the reward for continuously acknowledging the actual reality of things leads to a sustainable existence inside of the chaos. Wasner's awareness of it never completely diffuses the haunting in the video but it does make life with it appear easier.



Wye Oak's fifth studio album The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs is out now on Merge. The band also are embarking on a US tour. 

Listen: Wye Oak - "The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs"

Though it's certainly not news to anyone lucky enough to catch them on tour last Fall, Wye Oak have emerged triumphant from their latest recording sessions with a follow up to their previous studio record Shriek. Though they released their non-album Tween in 2016, a collection of tracks crafted during recording sessions for various albums that never quite made it onto any, the band's latest The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs is the band's much more confident entry into it's official discography. Baltimore duo no longer and separated by half-a-country, Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack have made the most of their lack of proximity and the cross-country trading of ideas has resulted into newfound creative peaks for the two. After the guitar-less synth pop of Shriek, it was anyone's guess what a Wye Oak album would sound like as the two essentially rejected their status as indie rock darlings in favor of the more fulfilling artistic freedom that Wasner's shift from guitar granted them. "The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs", the title track from the duo's forthcoming fifth studio album of the same name essentially finds Wasner returning to the guitar after demonstrating the full breadth of her multi-instrumentalism on Shriek while her and Andy Stack continue to push the sound of Wye Oak into bold new directions.

"The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs" is mammoth in sound while being composed of so many intricate moving layers. Considering its sprawling opening, it's hard to imagine it isn't the first track on the new record but that honor belongs to "(tuning)". Instead Wye Oak offer the title track as the first taste of new record which functions as an effective synthesis of the duo's oeuvre. No longer relying on particular rules to dictate the formation/crafting of songs, Wasner and Stack instead focused on sifting through various musical ideas and following the most fruitful. While  "Watching the Waiting", the only truly new song on Tween, was much more of a direct commentary on where the band were post-Shriek, "The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs" functions much more as a sort of ritualistic mantra. Wasner repeats the titular phrase often with occasional tweaks and it is the only lyric that fully survive the surging climax throws fragments of previous uttered lyrics back in new unfinished configurations along with the detritus of musical ideas smashed to bits and blown back with intense shredded guitar parts. Wasner highlights the comfort of familiar patterns as a means to remain adrift against a sea of uncertainty and the mantra-like chorus echoes that sentiment entirely.



The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs, the fifth studio album from Wye Oak is out April 6th on Merge. Pre-order is available now.

Listen: Deerhoof - "I Will Spite Survive" ft Jenn Wasner

I've said it time and time and again but Deerhoof are one of the most innovative bands going constantly pushing themselves in different directions in a career that's spanned more than 20 years. After their last full length record The Magic was released last year I figured it'd be some time since we'd hear from them again or rather they would simple tour around that set of songs but in addition to being Joyful Noise Recordings 2017 artist in residence, they've also announced a brand new batch of songs.

Mountain Moves, their newest record, looks to be the band's most political. The band have been fairly vocal in this increasingly hostile political climate and Mountain Moves acts as a sort of response to America's fraught politics. It's also the quartet's most collaborative. Featuring artists like Lætitia Sadier and Awkwafina, Juana Molina and Xenia Rubinos, there's a number of unexpected guests that mesh surprisingly well. Despite the number of great singles released so far (there's been three and the album is out in 3 weeks time), my interest was piqued instantly by the mention of Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak/Flock of Dimes. While each band are distinct enough in their own right, I was incredibly intrigued to hear what a collaboration between Deerhoof and Wasner would sound like and it sure doesn't disappoint.

"I Will Spite Survive", the first single released from Mountain Moves earlier this summer, begins with a "Jessie's Girl" like intro before Satomi Matsuzaki enters with her saccharine vocals. It's a move synonymous with Deerhoof's oeuvre: pairing heavier rock moments with Satomi's feather light vocals especially as she sings sweetly of terrifying things and dark motives but it works exceptional well here as she coos the song's oft-repeated and most gripping lyric: "You could outlive your executioners".  Suddenly Wasner enters and everything coalesces into a wonderful harmonic moment: Wasner, Matsuzaki, and band are in perfect alignment and the effect is overwhelming. It's a song meant to rally for the tough fight ahead and it achieves this not in the high intensity, heart-thundering style of punk but rather in the universal, communal language of pop. Both Wasner and Deerhoof know their way around ferocious guitar solos and attention-grabbing distortion but "I Will Spite Survive" communicates through clarity and harmony. The lyrics are simple and memorable: repeated often like a protest chant; the instrumental interplay effortlessly layered but crystal clear and the harmonies are immaculate. The song is hopeful, but cautiously so in a way that acknowledges the difficulty of pressing onward and yet it's not handled like a slog. There's no dissonance: cognitive or compositional. Each phrase sung is reliant upon its neighbor either undercutting it or expanding upon it as the band helpful try to point you in the direction they think you should take: "Sleep at night, if you can stay alive". Each lyric is another call to rally: you can beat those trying to end you if you're willing to do the work. Earn your rest, celebrate. Deerhoof are able to convey a pretty poignant message with very little. And that's why a song like "I Will Spite Survive" works. It's catchy pop melodies and nimble lyricism are tailor made to endure.



Deerhoof's newest album Mountain Moves is out September 8th on Joyful Noise Recordings. You can pre-order the album in a variety of formats including limited edition blue swirl LP here.  

All Around Sound's Favorite Albums Of 2016

I don't think anyone who pays any attention to music trends could've have predicted that after last year's terrific year that we were poised for another great year for music and yet here we are. 2016 offered up an absolute smorgasbord of releases for music lovers of every possible type: Rihanna, Gaga, and Zayn for the pop obsessed; ANOHNI, Okkervil River, Radiohead, for the indie lover; Beyonce, Blood Orange, and Solange for the politically minded. And yet this year, like almost every year, my favorite stand out albums happen to be ones that I felt were unfortunately overlooked. Considering how many good albums came out this year that's hardly surprising but hopefully this list of favorite album ranked in no particular order helps you find some truly great records that came out this year even if it's just a brief job down memory lane. Enjoy and as always feel free to chime in with your own.

Alex Izenberg - Harlequin
It's happened more times than I can count - an artist releases a single or several singles and either that single is the best song on the album by a strangely large margin or is just dramatically inconsistent with the songs on the album. In the case of Los Angeles singer/songwriter Alex Izenberg's debut full length Harlequin the singles "To Move On" and "Grace" do not prepare you at all for album in the best way. They paint a picture, intentionally, of your standard singer/songwriter crooning over guitar or piano with just the right amount of strings to ornament the song and give it added depth. And they're not entirely off base as Izenberg sets himself up to be just that but in an exciting twists glimpsed just barely in "Grace", Harlequin offers up something different: a wonderfully off-kilter experimentalism that finds itself in the wide majority of Izenberg's songwriting efforts. There's no attempts to hide it - album opening track "The Farm" sets the scene with dramatic string flourishes and highlighting Izenberg's distinct vocals. "Libra" and "Archer" inhabit that same realm of vivid dream-like imagery and its effectiveness heightened due to collaborator Ari Balouzian's arrangements. On Harlequin, Izenberg essentially breaks down many singer/songwriter tropes just by virtue of being himself - experimenting with sounds and textures as much if not more than his inventive lyricism.



 

Andy Shauf  - The Party
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Andy Shauf's latest effort The Party is just how steep his learning curve was that led to its creation. His debut full length The Bearer Of Bad News was the end result of 100 songs whittled down and still capable of forming coherent narratives and a cohesive flow. On The Party not only did Shauf work with far less songs but he aborted his original plans to record with an orchestra in favor of essentially handling the whole record himself while working although somewhat loosely in a concept. The Party succeeds on so many levels: the concept is simple but Shauf is able to do a lot with it: crafting characters and weaving tales that occasionally reoccur and intersect. His touch is light in every respect from the lyricism to the arrangement that it's immediately clear that's by design not lack of skill. It's impressive and engaging from start to finish and proof that Shauf is definitely a songwriter to watch.

Bayonne - Primitives
With an affinity for bedroom as well as experimental pop, I'm no stranger to loop based music and yet Primitives, the latest album from multi-instrumentalist/composer Roger Sellers, reinvigorates it in such a bold, yet understated way. The first album under his newly adopted Bayonne moniker, Sellers' manages to marry his study of minimalist music with pop songwriting and the result is a next level album that's intricate as well as exciting from beginning to end. Part of that is Sellers' own enthusiasm as he takes an active part in the layering and sequencing imbuing the electronic base with a live, human element that highlights the strengths in both while creating a sound that's new, exciting, and absolutely fascinating to dip into.

Big Thief - Masterpiece
My discovery of Big Thief is purely the result of their label Saddle Creek putting out releases from several of my favorite artists in the past that when they released the news that they were releasing Big Thief's debut album I made a note to check it out and I'm incredibly glad I did. Songwriting is nothing new to Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek who in addition to making music on their own also had another project together, and yet there's something in the alchemy of the full band that pulls even more intriguing songwriting out of Lenker and Meek. It's hard to imagine "Real Love", a beautiful song just lyrically speaking, without the rock grit. Masterpiece doesn't just succeed on those harder moments but also its lovelier, softer folk moments.

Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book
After his amazing second mixtape Acid Rap, the only people who weren't eagerly anticipating not only its follow up but anything the man did next were people who hadn't heard his music before. From guest appearances on fellow Save Money members mixtapes to last year's Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment record, Chance The Rapper has been building up a golden reputation. Add an appearance on probably the best song on Kanye's Life Of Pablo "Ultralight Beam" and that's pretty much solidified it. Coloring Book finds Chance The Rapper in a considerably different place than he was three years ago and it shows. Coloring Book is a winning combination of fun and spirituality, social commentary and self critique. With an all star cast as well as highlighting some of Chicago's best up and comers, Coloring Book is a mature work of self growth. Chance is counting his blessings but literally and figuratively and sharing the fruits of his labor in a fashion that's downright celebratory. Each song paints a definitive picture of what Chance The Rapper's been up to for the last couple years and it's a joy to hear him return so absolutely triumphant. Label woes and brushes with drugs behind him, Chance The Rapper's Coloring Book celebrates the music, his city, his family and God in a way that even the most resolved atheist can get behind. In fact the most spiritual moments on the mixtape tend to be its highest points.

Esperanza Spalding - Emily's D+Evolution
Despite being a Grammy award-winning artist, Esperanza Spalding is an artist that certainly no one is talking about as much as they should be. Perhaps it's because she's a jazz musician and most people only pretend to listen to jazz? Whatever the case, Spalding put out one of this year's best albums in the form of Emily's D+Evolution. It's a concept record of sorts but even without really knowing the concept which is Spalding inhabiting an alter ego of Emily, it's a record steeped in imagination as well as talent. Separated from the live show which plays much like musical theatre and provides context, it's songs are still just as strong. Beginning with an ode to creativity energy, Emily's D+Evolution is an album of rich ideological ideas and inventive lyricism that uses its roots in funk and jazz fusion to move it along. Spalding tackles deep subjects on the album but in such an unpretentious way that it's easy for the listener to miss them. It's an album that reveals more about itself and it's multitude of wonders the more time you spend with it.

Jinja Safari - Crescent Head (Crescent Sun/Crescent Moon)
Though singer/songwriters Marcus Azon and Pepa Knight met and formed the jungle pop quintet Jinja Safari in 2010, it wasn't until 2013 when they released their debut self-titled. Sure they had released two EPs and compilation double EP in the years prior but Jinja Safari was a milestone moment for the band after several high profile shows and festivals. Unfortunately it also signaled a sort of beginning of the end, the band took a hiatus to work on side projects and otherwise alleviate industry pressures and expectations. When the band reunited they started recording the tunes that would form their double album Crescent Head.  Named after Azon and Knight's hometown and split into two parts Crescent Sun and Crescent Moon, the double album functions as love letter to the music they painstaking crafted, the fans that enjoyed it, and the band itself. It's deeply ambitious: Crescent Sun a collection of the more upbeat pop songs they're known for and Cresccent Moon a more restrained affair and yet it's masterfully done. Jinja Safari embody both the primal rhythms and jubilant energy and also making subtler, more mature musical choices. It's a shame it's their swan song since Crescent Head as a whole paints a picture of a band not only comfortable with their sounds and their choices but also a band that would continue to push itself in service to creating truly entertaining, enjoyable, and most importantly interesting music. It's a hell of a way to go out especially considering most band breakups don't come with such a thoughtful finale.

Kevin Morby - Singing Saw
Considering how practically flawless Kevin Morby's sophomore record Still Life was, I had high hopes for Singing Saw that even then were exceeded beyond my wildest dreams. Singing Saw finds Morby going grander and more cinematic with help from Sam Cohen of Yellowbirds refining his sound with effecting arrangements. Morby continues to be in rare form and his songs are as thoughtful as they are beautiful - capturing emotion stirring moments rather just telling interesting stories. There's a shift subtle as it may be in Morby's lyricism as Morby turns his gaze towards invoking a rich, balanced portrait of the human experience. And yet, there's still a little of both the reverential and referential in Morby as he calls back themes and subjects of Singing Saw on "Black Flowers" much like did on Still Life.

Kishi Bashi - Sonderlust
Perhaps the most enjoyable thing about following the career of multi-instrumentalist/producer Kishi Bashi is that none of his releases have sounded all that similar to one another. Sure two songs from his debut Room For Dream EP found their way on his debut full length 151a but were in an excitingly new context with newer songs. His sophomore effort Lighght somersaulted into Ishibashi's love of jazz fusion and prog rock and String Quartet Live! reimagined songs with string quartet accompaniment. Sonderlust is where Ishibashi hit the wall that so many artists normally hit between their first and second album. Where could he take his lush technicolored take on psychedelic dream pop while still staying true to his core sound as Kishi Bashi? The answer was inward. Ishibashi grounded his songs in his life and looked outside of his trademark violin gymnastics for inspiration. The result is an album rooted in real hopes and dreams that resonates. The sound is ambitious and yet not wholly detached from the jazz fusion and prog rock of Lighght. The lightness of tone and melody that characterized a lot of both 151a and Lighght is all but snuffed out returning briefly in the delightful album ender "Honeybody" and its use there is cathartic: the light at the end of the tunnel. Kishi Bashi believes in love and by focusing not only the bright butterflies fluttering feeling but on the actual work that must be put in to maintain it, Sonderlust ends up as an honest, sincere ode to it.

Lucius - Good Grief
Considering how all around great their debut record Wildewoman was Lucius had quite the task ahead of them avoiding a sophomore slump and less time to gather the songs to do so. But by staying the course even when they thought it would drive them insane, Lucius crafted a wonderful follow up that further expands their diverse sonic palette. The 60's girl group influence is still there but updated and not relied upon too heavily. Lucius focus on the real tumult and strife found in relationships to inform their songwriting and it elevates the moments of joyous celebration to ecstatic heights. Good Grief emphasizes the role of pain and struggle in making the moments of ease and comfort feel truly special.

Mal Devisa - Kiid
In this the age of the surprise album I think it's been forgotten that that's largely how music was released from less high profile artists. Indie bands that had no marketing budget, especially in the old Myspace days would just kind of release their music and hope that it'd reach the listeners that wanted it. And that's essentially how Mal Devisa released Kiid. Although truth be told it was a bit of an event among people who had actually seen her live and had been eagerly awaiting for her to release music. And Kiid doesn't disappoint. It captures Deja Carr's eclectic tastes and interests and offers them up in somewhat tidy package. Kiid goes from folky singer/singerwriter to fiery social commentary to deeply moving soul without ever feeling like it's trying too hard or doing too much. The album moves quick but it's not trying to lose you, Carr just has a lot to say and trusts your ability to keep up. It's a trust more art should have in its recipients and the result of that trust is a diverse offering of powerful songcraft.

Margaret Glaspy - Emotions and Math
I have a bad habit of ignoring music my friends are listening to until an embarrassingly long time after the fact. My introduction to Margaret Glaspy was an attempt to course correct. My friend Jeanette of The Miscreant/Miscreant Records have nothing but good things to say about her and so I jumped into her music around the time of her second single and didn't look back. Glaspy is an amazing singer, songwriter, and guitarists. What charmed me, aside from the absolutely infectious melodies she builds her songs around, was a kind of don't-give-a-fuck quality to her singing that reminded me of Fiona Apple's The Idler Wheel.... On that album in particular Apple contorted her voice: howled and screamed with no regard for sounding pretty. What mattered was a sincere portrayal of the emotions and Emotions and Math finds Glaspy embarking on a similar journey. It's a portrait of complex woman - a fierce badass still capable of being hurt and wanting to be loved.

Mothers - When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired
With singer/songwriter/poets like Laura Marling and Johnny Flynn ranking among my favorite artists, it's hardly surprising that upon learning that Kristine Leschper, the frontwoman of Athens, GA four piece Mothers, is a poet why their songs resonated so much with me. But while Marling's poetic lyricism tends toward vague realism and Flynn's often detached from the self entirely, the most enthralling aspect of Leschper is that many of the lyrics feel lived in. There's also the packaging: complex rhythm and intricate guitar riffs catapult quiet emotive moments into action. When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired tells many stories: of love wanted and rebuked, of crippling self-doubt, of those questionable choices we make despite swearing we know better and yet ultimately, it's one long quest of the self: of finding yourself within yourself and reckoning with it. That's why despite the album's numerous tales of fractured, failing relationships, it manages to be so hopeful and inspiring. Leschper's charted journey isn't about boyfriends and girlfriends - it's about disarming and reversing one of the album's first eye-opening lyrics: "I hate my body/I love your taste". By album's end the certainty of the self is all that's left; all that's real.

Wye Oak - Tween
The fact that Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack have elected not to call Tween an album while initially confusing probably aids in its digestion. Essentially a collection of songs they had no home for, the fact that they don't consider it a full length or even a EP enables a sort of lowering of expectations that seems unworthy of how good Tween actually is. Recalling both Jenn Wasner's other side projects as well as Wye Oak's growth in general, it populates a unique place in the band's history in that it paints a picture of Wye Oak in transition. It might be an album of experiments and yet it's clear both in their decision to release it and the fact that songs like "If You Should See" and "Watching The Waiting" have made its way onto their setlists that it's a work of strong songcraft even managing to flow despite its various changes in sound and tone. With the exception of "Out Of Nowhere" which functions more as a place setting piece, Tween is a veritable feast of rock pop stunners. Wye Oak might not consider Tween to be a proper album but they've approached its creation with the same innovation and ear for melody that's made favorites out of their other proper albums.



Honorable Mentions:
Adult Jazz - Earrings Off! EP

Anderson .Paak - Malibu

And The Kids - Friends Share Lovers

Angel Olsen - MY WOMAN

Christopher Tignor - Along A Vanishing Plane

Conveyor - Ready Not Ready

Damien Jurado - Visions of Us on the Land

Golden Suits - Kubla Khan

The Heligoats - Back To The Lake

Hiss Golden Messenger - Heart Like A Levee

Jenny Hval - Blood Bitch

Julia Jacklin - Don't Let The Kids Win

Kris Orlowski - Often In The Pause

Kyle Morton - What Will Destroy You

Laura Gibson - Empire Builder

Lucy Dacus - No Burden

Mandolin Orange - Blindfaller

Marissa Nadler - Strangers

Marlon Williams - Marlon Williams

Moses Sumney - Lamentations EP

Noname - Telefone

Peter Broderick - Partners

Pinegrove - Cardinal

Psychic Twin - Strange Diary

Radiation City - Synesthetica

Steve Gunn - Eyes On The Lines

Sur Back - Kitsch EP

Tiny Ruins - Hurtling Through EP

Tuskha - Tushka

Uni Ika Ai - Keeping a Golden Bullseye in the Corner of My Mind

Weyes Blood - Front Row Seat To Earth

Listen: Flock of Dimes - "Everything Is Happening Today"

Though she's been making music as half of Wye Oak with Andy Stack for the better part of a decade, Jenn Wasner's has her hands in many creative pots. Five years ago she released "Prison Bride", the first single under her solo moniker Flock of Dimes and while she's added a couple singles to the mix (as well as forming Dungeonesse with Jon Ehrens), she's returning again to the project and giving it a bit more attention.

Wasner may have kept her projects separate from each other but there's no denying the effect each has had on the others: after exploring her love of pop unabashed love of pop with Dungeonesse, Wye Oak returned with arguably their most pop-centric record in Shriek. But Wasner's solo project has been slowly undergoing a metamorphosis over the years. Finally readying a batch of tunes in the form of debut full length If You See Me, Say Yes, "Semaphore" and new single "Everything Is Happening Today" hardly resemble the bombastic, glitchy debut of "Prison Bride". The production is sleeker, if not necessarily glossier, and Wasner imbues the project with clarity and narrative depth.

Lyrically "Everything Is Happening Today" resembles "Watching The Waiting", the lead single from Wye Oak's recent non-album Tween, in its emotional inventory. That's hardly a coincidence seeing as they were both written around the same time Wasner relocated to Raleigh from Baltimore. But while in the Wye Oak track Wasner essentially relives her past failures unable to change the outcome, "Everything Is Happening Today" leverages the knowledge of those failures with an appreciation of the experience. It's beguiling both in its refusal to wallow in heartbreak pop tropes and a delightful sense of life-affirming hopefulness. Wasner sings of fragility with vulnerability but there's an unmistakeable strength that carries the track to its resolved chorus of "Everything that ever was is happening today".



Flock of Dimes' debut full length If You See Me, Say Yes is out September 23rd on Partisan Records. You can preorder the record now.

Listen/Watch: Wye Oak - "Watching the Waiting"

If there's one thing I've learned following Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak, her projects like Flock of Dimes and Dungeonesse revealed a reverence of pop music that wasn't necessarily as evident in Wye Oak's earlier works. That sort of changed with their previous record Shriek though when Wasner and drummer Andy Stack gave into their impulses and crafted a collection of synth-laden tunes that were undeniably pop-fueled. And so here we are with Wye Oak, taking a stab at what's becoming an increasing trend in the pop sphere: the surprise album. It's a surprise in the true sense of the world with very little hints of new music coming besides the duo booking a new tour.

"Watching the Waiting" is just a taste of their latest effort Tween and is a beguiling step for the band. After going increasingly electronic with Shriek, "Watching the Waiting" populates the sort of folky indie rock the band purveyed as recently as Civilian. And yet, it's by no means a step back for the band or even a dramatic reinvention. "Watching the Waiting" sits comfortably at a sort of center of all the sounds Wye Oak has previously explored while pushing themselves forward through their mix of them. After forgoing guitars completely on Shriek, Wasner brings them back here and are paired with the more electronic elements. Both are offered up with the lightest of touches and presented as more secondary to Wasner's vocals. Which is pretty fair considering Wasner's covering a considering amount of narrative ground here. "I could not have seen myself here in a place I've been before/Seeing everything all as if I can feel enough" Wasner sings and it's surprising how much it parallels the duo's creative journey. But Wasner narrows the lyrics towards describing a sort of out-of-body experience of one's own memories. It's not uncommon to revisit past decisions and mistakes, and Wasner touches on that universality stunningly.



While Wasner offers up a trip down memory lane that borders on the surreal, the video, directed by Michael Patrick O'Leary and Ashley North Compton, explores it completely. Wasner is turned both active participant and observer while Stack commits to the dreaminess of it all and a sort of specter of memory keeps Wasner engaged. It's beautifully shot and definitely feels like a relevant companion tot the song; a helpful tool for digesting "Watching the Waiting" in all its dreamy complexity.

And yet, "Watching the Waiting" is surprisingly easy to digest, Wasner's lyrics doing most of the heavy lifting while the song sits comfortably between universal pop gem and indie rock experimentalism. It's a wonderful way to welcome back the band and one that's a little less of a shock to the system after Shriek and does an exceptional job piquing curiosity for the rest of the record. Thankfully Wye Oak have taken care of that and intrigued listeners can immediately sate that curiosity by downloading and listening to Tween.

Wye Oak's new not-quite-an-album Tween is available digitally now with physical editions slated for release August 5th on Merge Records. You can however purchase one of their 25 limited edition test pressings of Tween here.

Wye Oak - Shriek (2014)

"This morning I woke up on the floor, thinking I had never dreamed before"

It's no coincidence that Baltimore indie rock duo Wye Oak begin the latest chapter of their musical careers with a song like "Before", a dreamy musical tapestry on one hand, a series of concrete affirmations on the other. "Before" functions as the perfect introduction to Shriek, a gently rousing reverie instead of a bestial roar. Jenn Wasner's vocals perfectly capture the spectrum of emotions of starting over: the dizzying trepidation of uncertainty, the glimmering hopefulness of possibility. No one side wins out, balanced effortlessly in Wasner's lyrical ellipses and the push and pull of the duo's musical interplay.

The so-called guitarless Wye Oak record arrives with a surprising amount of propriety, its melodies aloft on a stable though intricate base; a work of a staggering amount of subtlety. It isn't until four songs in on the practically dancefloor ready synth-laden "Glory" that Shriek offers up any obvious signs of friction. Casting off the otherworldly pall that's shrouded the preceding tracks - Wasner and Stack are united in their syncopated, aggressive jump into pop. The duo glide into it but once there, make themselves fully comfortable and content to stay there for much of the album's duration. "Paradise" puts an end to Shriek's accessible forward momentum with a literal wall of sound - sending everything pitched forward sprawl and skidding to a halt before its establishing its own breakneck tempo. Tender ballad "I Know the Law" arrives at the most unexpected an moments and perhaps gains some of its power due to that -sandwiched between the blistering "Paradise" and synth-heavy album ender "The Logic of Color". On the album's most expansive track, Wasner's given full license to soar, arming herself with raw emotive power.

Shriek is a hymn not only to uncertainty but the empowerment gained from facing it head on. Underneath the heady toe-tapping synth lines, Wasner turns her lyricism inward and the resulting introspection is dazzling in its lucidity. Taking years of familiarity Wasner and Stack are able to validate a leap of faith by offering the model of thoughtful reinvention anchored by the duo's complementary nature. Shriek also triumphs through its exploration of different synth tones throughout the whole. Enabling its inclusion and predominant usage to avoid that of an overused parlor trick, and instead providing a varying set of timbric elements to revel in. The result is an album that's svelte and interesting, clean but full of a wealth of musical ideas impressively shuffled.



Shriek, Wye Oak's fourth full length, is out April 29th on Merge Records. Stream via NPR First Listen.
 

Listen: Wye Oak - "Glory"

It should come as a surprise to absolutely no one, especially those who've paid even the slightest bit of attention to Baltimore indie rock duo Wye Oak, that their SXSW sets were the highlight of the whole damn thing. But unlike their previous live sets where you could be certain to see Jenn Wasner shredding away to her heart's content, the band's decision to shelve guitar created a much more curiosity-provoking experience. While "The Tower" asserted that the duo's new song didn't sound at all lost or lacking, how the guitarlessness translated into their live set was a definite cause for concern. One subtly allayed by the band's excellent musicianship.

"Glory", the second single from Wye Oak's upcoming Shriek finds the duo plotting a distant course from the land of indie rock and settling somewhere in the realm of danceable electro-pop. It still maintains an organic edge, never quite plunging deep enough into the realm of synths and 808s but there's a certain funkiness, a rumpshaking quality alien to Wye Oak songs and one that was no doubt influenced from Wasner's poppier side projects Flock of Dimes and Dungeonesse. Nevertheless, it's not too jarring a transition but one that seems quite natural both within the context of "Glory" and the band itself. You don't need to have seen the duo live to know that their new album will live up to the hype. "The Tower" and "Glory" make that abundantly clear.



And in case you missed it, here's the first single "The Tower", Wye Oak's Shriek is out April 29th on Merge.

Listen: Flock of Dimes - "(This Is Why) I Can't Wear White"

I know Jenn Wasner's main band Wye Oak are totally about due for another album but surely Wasner's own solo project Flock of Dimes has enough tracks for an EP/full length to be on the horizon, right? I mean late last year we got her debut "Prison Bride" and tracks have been randomly appearing on her Soundcloud pretty much ever since. She's even releasing a 7" with Merge Records. So album me please, Flock of Dimes.

If you think I'm being too insistent, take a listen to Wasner's latest ditty "(This Is Why) I Can't Wear White", it's different from the total layered pop onslaught of "Prison Bride" in that it at least starts a bit slower and simpler. And then it starts to really rock. Although the rock doesn't quite reach the break-neck pace of "Prison Bride", it makes "I Can't Wear White" into baby making music. The bending guitar licks are downright obscene and Wasner's vocals are as sultry as they've ever been.

I might not be able to make out all the words but I'm going to assume the reason Jenn Wasner can't wear white is directly related to her ability to make sexy music.

Flock of Dimes - "Curtain"

If you're anything like me and have been ravenously fiending for more Flock of Dimes since her Prison Bride 7" debut then you're in luck. Turns out Jenn Wasner waits for no man, in addition to touring extensively with Wye Oak at present, she's releasing a brand spanking new 7" on Merge Records.

"Curtain", with b-side "Apparition" out in a limited edition run on September 25th, trades the break-neck beats of "Prison Bride" for more of the hazy, sense of wonder of "Gauze" as Wasner invokes seemingly boundless rapture with craning melodies and sweetly sung overtures of love. "Curtain" is a track meant to overwhelm and it certain does it's job - continuously rising in feel and intensity until Wasner finally relents allowing the track to fade on it's final downward descent. It's unshakably magnificent and just plain good.  

There's no talk of a full length album at present and maybe that's for the best? Because if Flock of Dimes had a larger collection of tunes, we'd never listen to anything else ever again. 

Pitstop: Flock of Dimes

When Sharon Van Etten went on tour in support of her brilliant new record Tramp, I saw her support was something by the name of Flock of Dimes. You'd think such an interesting name would be all I needed to look into the matter or the fact that he/she/it were playing a couple dates with my February obsession. Wrong. It was only after Caleb Moore of Lands & Peoples showed considerable excitement about seeing Flock of Dimes live that it clicked that this might be something good, something important. In fact, Caleb didn't do record store day but picked up a Flock of Dimes 7" and seemed more than content with that decision.

Flock of Dimes is actually the solo project of Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner. After debuting late last year with the track "Prison Bride" on Friends Records 2011 compilation, she's been steadily on her way toward releasing more. Like the aforementioned 7" which consists of "Prison Bride" and Wasner's take on The Eagles' "I Can't Tell You Why".

It actually took the release of Wye Oak's one-off single "Spiral" for this summer's incarnation of the Adult Swim Singles Program for me to remember I had never given proper due to Wasner or Flock of Dimes. On NPR, Wasner compared the stylistic change of "Spiral" to the dark vibes of Flock of Dimes and well, they're pretty much dead-on there.

 Prison Bride by Flock of Dimes

There might not be a lot of music out under Wasner's Flock of Dimes moniker yet but what is available is absolutely obsession-worthy. The aforementioned "Prison Bride" which builds atop a pretty slick beat before Wasner's vocals envelop you in a heady rush. Percussive claps and occasional vocals effects are used sparring and become all the more interesting for it. The track in intoxicatingly catchy.

But despite Wasner's foreshadowing in the NPR article, not all of Flock of Dimes output is menacing or foreboding. In "Glaze", which is reminiscent of a less guitar-centric Stricken City a la "I Know A Place", you get a sort of dreamy reverie that is in no way less attention-dominating than "Prison Bride". "Glaze" chugs along at a pace not unlike "Prison Bride" but where the latter was mostly beat-driven, the brighter track is less insistent in its forward movement.

 glaze by Flock of Dimes

 icy by Flock of Dimes

Here's hoping there's to come soon from Flock of Dimes. You can order the Poison Bride 7" from Friends Records here.

Wye Oak - "Spiral"

Shhh everybody stop talking. Stop talking about that Lana Del Rey video or the Mumford & Sons tour or anything else really. The big kids are talking. Baltimore duo Wye Oak, creators of perhaps one of the most brilliant albums of the past year Civilian, are releasing a brand new track as part of Adult Swim's 2012 Singles Program. And it's just great. It pulses along with healthy dose of reverb-touched vocals before exploding into a full on jam, the dynamics increase, Andy and Jenn's vocals swirl around each other and echo away in the distance all while there's a pretty grooving bass line. "Spiral" is a track that essentially never lets up. Just when you think you know what to expect it shifts gears slightly until you're left with the minimalistic, percussive marimba instrumental outro and a strong desire to hit play again and again.

"Spiral" is bound to be this year's "Weather Of A Killing Kind" i.e. the best single Adult Swim has in its program and that's none to surprising considering like previous title holder The Tallest Man on Earth, Wye Oak can do no wrong.