Wednesday was originally formed as a solo project of lead singer Karly Hartzman, blending shoegaze inspired fuzzy guitars and country-twanged vocals that touched on the struggles and traumas of small-town Southern living. This year the now five-piece released what I firmly believe to be the groups best work with their latest record Bleeds.
Bleeds opens with the one, two punch of Reality TV Argument Bleeds and Townies – Reality TV Argument Bleeds acts almost like a sonic black hole, bringing everything around into the mix, creating an all consuming, attention demanding, and layered soundscape before Hartzman’s vocals break through with the first of many Southern-twinged expressions of stories and the people they involve. The track has personal lyrical highlights of, “When I don’t feel like bein’ comforted / Melting outward like a movie burning from the screen / You and your broke dick sincerity.”
The stories continue on Townies, a track that explores the dramas of small town life where word travels fast. The opening lyrics are literally, “Catchin’ up with the townies / Some have gone but most are still around / The ghosts of them surround me / They hang on tight until they drown.” Hartzman’s spins a harsh and emotive tale of marijuana, shared nudes, death, and leaf blowers in the best and most unexpected way.
The last track I’ll highlight here is my personal favorite from the record, track 7 The Way Love Goes. As I understand it, it’s an expression of some of the feelings after the end of the long term relationship between members Karly Hartzman and MJ Lenderman. It’s short, heart wrenching, and a perfect example of how less is more. It serves as a sort of break in the record with its slower, acoustic sound that’s light on the effects and it truly shows how strong of a performer Hartzman is. The track closing with a self reference saying, “I know it’s not been easy / And I know it can’t always be / and that’s the way love goes.” I mean, c’mon – tearing my heart out and stomping on it would probably cause me less pain than feeling the relatability of those lyrics.
This album to me is almost like a play where each of the albums 12 tracks functions like acts; each containing its own setting, characters and story while the thing connecting them all together, thus creating the play, is Hartzman’s perspective and the way that she and the rest of Wednesday have laid these stories to tape. Not very many records from bands I’ve heard have successfully turned me from a listener into a fan, but Bleeds accomplished exactly that. And I couldn’t be more excited to see what’s next.
You can get Bleeds from us here or via Wednesday’s Bandcamp page.
Bishop Allen may very well be the first band that’s been reviewed by three of us. Yeah, we’re pretty geeked about them. Take a look at the artwork for their new album Grrr… Do you like what you see? Do you appreciate its colorful, simple whimsicality? Then you’ll love the new tracks; the music marches hand-in-hand with the visual. Notice the clean white space. The music has that same crisp, airy feeling. I quickly donned headphones, wanting to squeeze my brain in between the bright melodies, the bouncy bass, snappy guitars, and the lyrics’ ‘ancient commonsense’ poetics. The question is, will the songs last the replays while I wait another month for the other eleven songs? I’m highly suspicious the answer is yes. Songs like these remind me why 3hive exists: must…tell…others… The new album and tour begins March 10th. But a