So, new-ish, in new ways anyway. But don’t . . . the new Wand’s built upon the exalted altars of old. There’s flashes of sentiment and tension, nudity and evasion, theatrical elevation, giant pieces chunked throughout alongside little bits of things. Since their 2014 debut, Ganglion Reef, the Los Angeles.-based Wand have braided garage, psych, and classic rock into a fuzzed-out whole that constantly swings between inspiration and tribute.
Sliding between the bodies in the street, cutting across the contrails that bisect our sky, Wand find melody and the anxiety beats as they hum the soundtrack for a new gravitational centre. Seeking connections against the plan of niche interest and anonymity, “Vertigo” is the sound of slippage, rocks of contradiction (in soft focus); feet lost, regained, lost again, a multi-chromatic swaying, more automatic, associative, directed, in time. “Vertigo” offers a lot of what makes Wand a moody delight, from the pulsating fuzzwave of “Hangman” to the dreamy horns and plinked keys of “Lifeboat.” It meanders with curiosity, having been semi-improvised in the writing process, and it’s rife with decades of comforting rock and folk landmarks.
For Corey Hanson lyrics are built around things he doesn’t want to do—things hidden, unsaid, and locked inside his brain. His high, smooth voice is a stark contrast to the nakedly hero-worshipping (or maybe oblivious channeling) of Pavement’s “Summer Babe” on “Smile,” which is practically a half-speed cover. Seventies Latin and soft-rock sounds soak the Santana-meets-Steely-Dan “Lifeboat,” and album closer “Seaweed Head” rolls like a Loaded outtake, a sun-faded poster for VU’s “I Found a Reason” hanging in their resin-stained practice room.
Wandies – and all conceivable others! Their new album release bonus offer for the hardcore among you: now, you can Turn On, Turn Off, and Tune Into the “Vertigo” Bundle – your choice of format on the new Wand record (LP-CD-or-CS), complete with Black Light Poster and Bumper Sticker!
The Fat Angel Sings 