Artist: Wye Oak
Album: Civillian
Released: March 2011
Label: Merge Records
Genre: indie rock
Purchase date: 22 Mar 2011
Format: mp3 files
Source: Amazon
The third full-length from the Baltimore-based male/female duo finds Wye Oak growing both more comfortable in their own abilities and more ambitious in their sound. Jenn Wasner's haunting vocals sound in sharp contrast to her powerful guitar, but she seems to get that balance exactly right. Drummer/keyboardist Andy Stack fills in the rest of the sound. Live, he's got to be the best one-handed drummer in music today, as he plays three keyboards simultaneously with his other hand. In the studio, his precision shines through.
Wye Oak has always liked to play with large dynamic shifts. They are still here, but the shifts are less abrupt, subtler, and manage to draw you completely in. The highlight of the album is the title track (which appears about half-way through the album), and it is one of the best songs of the year so far.
This is most definitely Wye Oak's best album yet, and is one of my favorites of the year so far. Highly recommended.
Rating: A
Album not available at eMusic
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