I think everyone has a system for navigating through the staggering amount of new music and new bands. I’ve developed a sort of “mental Netflix” that helps me to keep track of everything. If I read about a band I’ve never heard three or four times on my internet machine, I add them to the “queue.” A band has the ability to move up in the queue if dictated by some outside force. Examples of an “outside force” include being humiliated in a social situation for not knowing about said band, or learning the girl I’ve had an unhealthy crush on listens to them. More commonly though, I’ll read that a band is coming to town and make sure I give them a listen to see if it’s worth going.

Wye Oak’s debut album If Children came out earlier this year on Merge, and I get the feeling that they’ve been undeservingly stranded at the bottom of more than a few queues. There just hasn’t been much press about them. Truthfully, though, I think you’d struggle to find a more solid album this year. Every song is immensely pleasing: from the delicate finger-picking of opener “Please Concrete” to the final reverb-soaked chord of “Obituary,” Wye Oak manages to retain consistency even through stylistically diverse songs. “Regret” is a quietly strong folk song while “A Lawn to Mow” explores a more traditional rock ballad with electric piano and subtle tremolo. The piano line driving “Keeping Company” sounds like its lineage can be traced back to oriental scales, and the accompaniment of light and dancing percussion only adds to its Eastern aesthetic. They are at their best, however, when they let the styles and genres blend, resulting in the “sound” of the band.

It’s difficult to label Wye Oak, or commit the music to a genre. The constant presence of reverb, feedback, and the frequency of cymbal rolls give the album a liquid state. The sound takes the shape of its current container. The first single “Warning” delivers the best example of Wye Oaks original sound. Guitars weightlessly flutter above, anchored by the driving rhythm section, leaving the vocals of Jenn Wasner somewhat unintelligible. The best song on the album “I Don’t Feel Young” follows suit with vocals and guitars that sound as though they are gently precipitating on a bass line that seems to add a nervous pace to a mid-tempo song.

Listening to the album, it’s easy to forget that Wye Oak is only Jenna Wasner and Andy Stack. Unlike The Black Keys, (early) White Stripes, and Dodos, the Baltimore duo uses the studio to manufacture a sound that is bigger than their means. It will be interesting to see how they adapt their live performance without losing the mesmerizing sound they created on the album. I’d move Wye Oak to the top of your queue; that girl you like will probably be at the show.

Tunes:

Wye Oak - “Warning”

Album Info:

If Children is out now on Merge.

Show Info:

Wye Oak (with Pontiak and Cocker Spaniels)
at Emo’s (Inside)
Thursday, June 19th, 2008
Doors: 9pm (Show: 10pm)
Tickets: $8 (via TicketWeb)