Wye Oak
The Knot 
July 21st, 2009
Merge Records

by Justin Valmassoi

Before the swell of brass breaks the funereal march of album opener ‘Milk and Honey’ it is apparent Wye Oak have stepped up their game on multiple levels. Last year’s If Children was a notable debut, garnering relatively understandable Yo La Tengo comparisons and showcasing the duo’s propensity for marrying Americana melody to walls of feedback and shoegaze atmospherics. On The Knot, however, Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner have raised every bar, stepping out of the shadow of their influences to deliver one of the best records of 2009. Everything is thicker, more urgent, deeper. After harmonizing on ‘Milk and Honey’ Stack essentially leaves the vocal show to Wasner and focuses on molasses thick production and black hole basslines. Wasner, for her part, rises to the occasion with aplomb, showcasing a surprising ability to shift her voice to fit each song without relinquishing its languid, detached identity. Musically, the duo has enough tricks for a band four times their size.

What they’ve done is discover how to make their love of studio trickery and shoegaze work to create genuine mood. Several of the tracks on The Knot are aimed at the jugular, and they hit their mark without any need to change formula. Of course, this is helped by the fact that Wye Oak’s music is itself in a fairly constant state of flux. It is proper indie rock, the kind the label made its reputation on, and something that most of today’s bands have forgotten how to do. Stack adores punctuating verses with a bludgeoning of cymbals and Wasner responds with some artfully controlled feedback, but there is so much more than loud/soft dynamics being explored. ‘Tattoo’ finds the duo harmonizing over a propulsive drumbeat, church choir vocals giving way to a southern porch-stomp drum break before being overtaken once again. Seven and a half minute centerpiece ‘Mary Is Mary’ pulls the listener forward on a tractor beam of bass and guitar squalls despite the fact that it would work just as well as an acoustic folk dirge. That in itself is a large part of the band’s appeal. All of these songs would work as simple porch tunes, with just six strings and a solid heel to stomp. Stack and Wasner’s ability to wrap them in layer after layer of every conceivable instrument and effect without sacrificing meaning or mood is testament to the amount of talent they possess.

The only drawback to the record is that it’s being released in mid-Summer. The tone of the album suggests autumnal regret and a sky gone leaden under layers of fast-moving clouds. Otherwise, every song on the Knot is mixtape worthy, and each showcases a different aspect of what makes the band worth paying attention to. From the simple but inescapable melodica melody of ‘Talking About Money’ to the stomach-clenching bass and razor sharp lyrics of ‘That I Do’ Wye Oak have thrown the gauntlet for 2009.

The Knot drops July 21st. Do yourself a favor and buy it.