On their sophomore album The Knot, buzz-worthy Baltimore-based duo Wye Oak delivers a unique brand of folk rock with a dash of Americana–and once listeners ease into the weird melodies and eerie vocals, they’ll realize that this band is definitely one to watch.
The Knot opens slowly and cautiously with “Milk and Honey,” and then moves along to the striking “For Prayer,” where crashing percussion and wailing guitars interrupt quiet verses. “Talking About Money” oscillates between hushed singing and noise as well.
These tunes are a little bizarre, but clearly crafted by intelligent, talented musicians.
Formed in 2006 by Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner, Wye Oak began as a just-for-fun basement recording project. Their debut album, If Children, was released independently in 2007 and again in 2008 after the duo signed with Merge Records, which is also home to Spoon, She & Him and Conor Oberst, to name a few.
With a few spins of The Knot, listeners will hear why Wye Oak’s strange and beautiful sounds are deserving of a recording home along with these bigger-name acts. Wasner’s voice is quiet but powerful as it wafts over the eerie “Siamese.” Her vocals almost have a sing-song quality, but the lyrics are haunting and heavy.
The Knot is a cohesive collection of songs, and a common theme pervades each track–relationships. But The Knot digs deeper than break-ups and make-ups; according to an interview with Wasner on the Merge Records official Web site, the album’s title refers to “assessing the ways that our ties to other people define our experiences.”
Indeed, Wasner’s lyrical reflection gets deep. Her songs are intensely emotional and direct. The eight-minute-long “Mary is Mary” is creepy and somewhat depressing. But on slightly louder and more upbeat tracks like “Tattoo” and “I Want For Nothing,” winding layers glimmer instead of plod along. We can also hear the addition of instruments such as piano, which is impossible for this duo to use during a live performance. The layers created by these two musicians are impressive. Their sound is sometimes sparse, but never hollow.
Occasionally, The Knot does sound like a rock album. “Take It In” is grittier, and dirty bass and screeching feedback on “That I Do” give it a garage rock feel.
The Knot is sometimes sublime and whimsical, and always intimate and confident. However, The Knot is not easily accessible–it’s really not even immediately likeable. But it is an album that listeners can really sink their teeth into. Stack and Wasner have clearly put a lot of work into these ten tracks, and fans will have to work at it, too–but it’s worth the effort.
4 stars out of 5.
