Wussy are an American five-piece fronted by songwriters Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker & backed by Mark Messerly, Joe Klug & John Erhardt. Bridging the gap between The Band & Sonic Youth, Wussy continue in the tradition of bands with multiple writers & singers. Cleaver & Walker offer radically different perspectives that blend in seamless fashion – usually blanketed inside layers of noise.
Wussy are back with their first LP in six years. The aptly titled “Cincinnati Ohio” – out November 15th on Shake It Records – is the first album from the five-piece since 2018’s “What Heaven Is Like”. Wussy are known among critics and their loyal fanbase for releasing albums of lyrically deft pop songs awash within a blanket of noise – a sound that critic Robert Christgau has described as “merging the Velvet Underground and the Flying Burrito Brothers” (SPIN, 2013). And it seems “Cincinnati Ohio” is no exception – punctuated with many of the familiar Wussy sounds: a jangly mix of electric and acoustic guitars; the duelling lead vocals of Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker; Joe Klug and Mark Messerly’s driving rhythm section; and warm rolling waves of pedal steel – this time split between late Wussy guitar player John Erhardt and newest member Travis Talbert. On “Cincinnati Ohio” the band leans heavily into its penchant for cinematic Americana landscapes, drawing stylistic inspiration from influences such as Calexico, Mazzy Star, R.E.M., Sun Volt, and the Mekons (whose Jon Langford painted the album’s cover art). This Midwestern wall-of-sound method clearly works for Wussy, who according to The Ringer, has been “quietly crafting one of the great rock catalogue’s of the decade.”
WUSSY IS
Chuck Cleaver – guitar, vocals, piano
Lisa Walker – guitar, vocals, synth
Mark Messerly – bass, accordion
Joe Klug – drums, percussion, synth
John Erhardt – pedal steel, guitar (tracks 8, 9)
Travis Talbert – pedal steel (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5)
with John Hoffman – synth on tracks 3, 5
released November 15th, 2024
The Fat Angel Sings 