Wye Oak — “The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs” Album Review (originally published at https://www.goldflakepaint.co.uk/wye-oak-the-louder-i-call-the-faster-it-runs-review/)
Album Review:
Wye Oak
The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs
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words by josh henderson
For a decade, Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack — who perform together as Wye Oak — have been defining, redefining and transforming their sound. As a listener, every release is a new and wonderful lyrical and musical exploration. From their debut If Children up to and including 2011’s remarkable Civilian, Wasner and Stack mainly stuck to electric guitar and drums, respectively. And by 2014’s Shriek, Wasner was outspoken about a dark time and contentious relationship with the instrument that had been used to shaped Wye Oak’s sound, opting on that record to ditch it altogether in favor of the bass guitar, synths and keyboards. It was a bold move coming off the success of Civilian, but it worked and it gave the duo wonderful new musical tools to work with.
Fast forward to 2016 and the release of Tween, a surprisingly cohesive collection of outtakes from recordings that took place during the Civilian and Shriek sessions. Revisiting that record proves it to be a prescient precursor to their latest gem, The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs. Most notably, the guitar is back — both electric and bass are all over this record — but so is the keyboard and synthesizer, allowing them to showcase their entire instrumental repertoire with a profound confidence.
Having originated in Baltimore, the pair have since parted ways geographically — Wasner to Durham, North Carolina and Stack to Marfa, Texas — context that relates, at least in part, to the themes on the new record. The Louder I Call… speaks to distance, between who we are and who we thought we’d be or wanted to be, between ourselves and others, between good and evil, love and hate, between what we were and what we’ve become. It’s a statement record from one of the most consistently great bands in indie rock. And it succeeds in the radiant clarity in which those ideas are conveyed.
The record kicks off with “(tuning)” — a short, minimal instrumental intro leading into the explosive rhythmic energy of “The Instrument.” The track moves along at a frenetic pace with Wasner’s voice sounding crystal clear as she opens with “suffering, I remember suffering / feeling heat and then the lack of it / but not so much what the difference is.” Her vocals are more prominent in the mix than ever and Louder… is, for the most part, less lyrically opaque than previous records. And if you’ve heard Wasner’s 2016 release as Flock of Dimes — If You See Me, Say Yes — you will definitely hear similarities in the way both records sound.
Louder… is very much a logical progression for the band but it also maintains their distinct anxious intensity. Although the unease has always been coupled with a degree of sanguinity, it’s been a through line in their music. There’s no better example than the title track which pulses like an accelerated heartbeat. The song builds into a cacophony of sound as Wasner repeats the line “the louder I call, the faster it runs” as her words move further and further away until they disappear entirely.
But alongside the title track, the synth-laden unease of “Symmetry” and the restless rhythmic repetition of “Over and Over” are some of the most definitively bright and beautiful songs the band has ever written. “Lifer” is shimmering introspection complete with a Civilian-esque guitar solo. “It Was Not Natural” might be the truest example of the band’s capabilities; detailing a contemplative amble in the woods. The stunning “Say Hello” captures the immense power, genuine elegance, lucidity and range of Wasner’s voice. Then there is the penultimate track “Join,” which, at just under three minutes, is a breathtakingly melodic earworm.
One thing I’ve always admired about Wye Oak is the dynamism that exists between its two members. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to see them live, you’ll understand — it’s amazing to witness the seemingly effortless interplay in person. And there’s no shortage of dazzling synergistic moments on Louder.
Stack’s drumming is as bold, complex and understated as ever, providing compelling rhythms to compliment Wasner’s every move. There are unexpected flourishes from beginning to end, including but not limited to the short fills in “It Was Not Natural,” the uniquely timed patterns on “Say Hello” and “Over and Over” and the effective accentuations throughout the finale “I Know It’s Real.” It’s remarkable to see their continued ingenuity, fearlessness and cohesiveness a decade into their life as a band. Here’s hoping Wye Oak is around for at least ten more.
