One of the finest exponents of the vocal harmony we’ve heard are London’s Anglo-Franco-Irish trio, The Wharves. Last week saw The Wharves release their brilliant new album “Electa”, the follow-up to 2014’s At Bay, and it is one of the most anticipated records of the year.
Citing influences including, “the reverberated spook of 60’s groups, the mid-fi guitar crunch of Kim Deal’s The Amps, the sisterly vocal harmonies of The Roches and the narrative and structural panache of 70’s progressive folk”, it’s perhaps unsurprising how brilliantly unclassifiable “Electa” sounds. The guitar work of Dearbhla Minogue, also a member of the superb The Drink, retains all of her inventive and propulsive hallmarks, while the rhythm section seem to remain entirely in sync, creating interesting bedrocks on which the more harmonic instruments can weave their magic.
Electa is a more eclectic and experimental record than its predecessor, without losing any of the underlying charm of their earlier work. The bands new-found ambition and confidence is particularly clear on closing track My Will, which features the band instrument swapping and the immense presence of the twenty strong, Rebel Choir. The Wharves more than ever are a band treading a singular path through the choppy water of alternative music, and it’s a journey we can only recommend you all join them on.
The Fat Angel Sings 