By Zach Bonner, Asst. News Editor
One of the most metamorphic musical acts of the current decade is the indie rock duo Wye Oak. Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, the duo creates narrative music that evolves as you listen. Andy Stack and Jen Wasner create a sound that has been described as folk- influenced indie rock as well as synth-influenced dream pop.
They’ve created music from which emerges a blend of lyrics, vocals, and instrumentation that has a lasting effect on their listeners.
Their recent release, “Spiral/Wave Is Not the Water,” is a limited run single to promote their upcoming U.S. tour.
This single aptly bridges the gap between their last two albums, “Shriek” and “Tween,” both of which have a weird chronology.
Wye Oak’s album, “Civilian,” which was released in 2011, was classified as indie rock with heavy electric and acoustic guitars, backing keys, and clear-cut vocals. They released Shriek in 2015, which spun their sound into a realm of dream pop that their previous works didn’t necessarily suggest. In 2016, they released a mini-album, “Tween,” which they classified as a side-step in time.
Wasner stated in an interview with pitchfork.com that “Tween” contained music they created between 2011 and 2014. This was the period of time when their sound was going through structural and aesthetic changes.
“Spiral/Wave Is Not the Water” is reminiscent of their body of work and acts well as a catalyst for their listeners to understand the evolution in their sound. It was released on October 17, and exhibits the same reverberating vocals found on “Civilian” that were solidified as an artistic choice in “Shriek.” The underpinning guitar is neatly backed by Wasner’s solid and step-based baseline, and Stack’s crisp percussion wrangles the cacophony into music that sounds effortlessly cohesive.
The facets of these singles are primarily brought together through a repetitive and hypnotic marimba that echoes throughout both pieces. After a few listens, it’s still not a work that I could easily piece apart.
As contemporary performers, Wye Oak leaves little to be asked for. They create an unusual interest in lyrical content and instrumentation, with heady vocals and a melody composed tactfully above complex percussion and key- board work that does little but ardently bolster its compositional companions. Wye Oak’s recorded sound is mirrored by their live production value.
They don’t shy away from any of their music at their shows and allow the listeners to truly hear how each was meant to be consumed. Their music invokes grandiose feelings that envelop listeners in a world of Wasner and Stack’s creation.