| Wand — Plum (Sept. 22, 2017) |
Wand — Plum (Sept. 22, 2017)
Ξ♣Ξ About this product: Weird orange rouged to Plum — teeming, dense, at times wildly multichromatic sounds; an idiom, an inside joke, a talisman, a bookmark, a mood ring, a long evening’s shadow of loss and longing. And meanwhile all the shifting weather, the wireless signals, the helicopters overhead....↓
Ξ♣Ξ The fourth album from Wand, unique and experimental alternative rock full of soft/heavy contrast. If you’re into the likes of Thee Oh Sees then give this a listen.
Ξ♣Ξ The music of Plum focuses teeming, dense, at times wildly multichromatic sounds into Wand’s most deliberate statement to date, with a long evening’s shadow of loss and longing hovering above the proceedings. Plum delicately locates the band’s tangent of escape from the warm and comfortable shallows of genre anach~ronism, an eyes~closed, mouth~open leap toward a more free~associative and contemporary pastiche of logic that more honestly reflects the ravenous musical omnivorousness of the five people who wrote and played it.
© Photo credit: Abby Banks
Location: Los Angeles, California
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Album release: Sept. 22, 2017
Record Label: Drag City
Duration: 40:15
Tracks:
01. Setting 1:00
02. Plum 4:16
03. Bee Karma 3:55
04. Charles de Gaulle 4:17
05. High Rise 2:43
06. White Cat 4:14
07. The Trap 4:44
08. Ginger 2:10
09. Blue Cloud 7:50
10. Driving 7:06
© 2017 Drag City
Current members:
• Cory Hanson — vocals, guitar (2013~present)
• Lee Landey — bass (2013~present)
• Evan Burrows — drums (2013~present)
• Robert Cody — guitar (2016~present)
• Sofia Arreguin — backing vocals, synth (2016~present)
Former members
• Daniel Martens — guitar (2013~2015)
Ξ♣Ξ The first album in two years from West Coast psych outfit Wand and for this they’ve added two new members which has brought about a much more democratic songwriting process than before. The album was borne out of improvisational sessions which yielded dense and wildly chromatic music, pushing the envelope of their previous psych fuzz sound.
Review
By Paul McAleer
Ξ♣Ξ California’s Wand comes from a different time, staying true to their classic rock influences with each release through avoiding the cheap tricks the modern age offers. Ξ♣Ξ Plum marks a shift for Wand as it’s their first album featuring new guitarist Robbie Cody and keyboardist Sofia Arreguin, adding to the existing three members. Instead of frontman Cody Hanson bringing most of the material to the table, the songwriting process transformed into a collaborative environment relying on chemistry and improvisation from each member of the group.
Ξ♣Ξ The end result isn’t a shocking or sudden departure from Wand’s earlier work, but that’s fine because the music stays true to the type of record that’s timeless. Without the internet, it would be hard to say if Plum came out four years ago or 40. The record opens with “Setting,” beginning with a high~pitched drone like a time machine ready to go off. The title track follows with a focus on keys even though the rest of the album puts guitar riffs and solos at the forefront. The vocals from Hanson are reserved and soothing even at points when the instrumentation demands more. It works for the most part, but it’s hard not to want Hanson to unleash emotions that derail the psychedelic spectrum.
Ξ♣Ξ The album is full of standout tracks, including closer “Driving,” a song featuring Hanson at his most versatile, and “The Trap,” a slow burning heartbreaker reminiscent of Wilco’s Summerteeth in tone. Plum explores a handful of ideas throughout the album, offering something for every type of rock fan to enjoy, while solidifying each member as equally important to the band’s overarching success. Ξ♣Ξ http://beatroute.ca/
Works:
• Plum LP/Cass/CD/MP3/FLAC DC673 2017
• 1000 Days LP/Cass/CD/MP3/FLAC DC625 /WAND 3 2015
• Golem LP/CD In the Red 2015
• Ganglion Reef LP/Cass/CD/MP3/FLAC God#009 2014
Website: http://wandband.info/
Label: http://www.dragcity.com/
Bandcamp: https://wand.bandcamp.com/album/plum
♦»♠••›♣¤★↔★♦♠♦★Ω★♦»♠••›♣¤★↔★♦♠♦★Ω★♦»♠••›♣¤★↔★♦♠♦★Ω★♦»♠••›♣♠
| Wand — Plum (Sept. 22, 2017) |
Ξ♣Ξ The fourth album from Wand, unique and experimental alternative rock full of soft/heavy contrast. If you’re into the likes of Thee Oh Sees then give this a listen.
Ξ♣Ξ The music of Plum focuses teeming, dense, at times wildly multichromatic sounds into Wand’s most deliberate statement to date, with a long evening’s shadow of loss and longing hovering above the proceedings. Plum delicately locates the band’s tangent of escape from the warm and comfortable shallows of genre anach~ronism, an eyes~closed, mouth~open leap toward a more free~associative and contemporary pastiche of logic that more honestly reflects the ravenous musical omnivorousness of the five people who wrote and played it.
Location: Los Angeles, California
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Album release: Sept. 22, 2017
Record Label: Drag City
Duration: 40:15
Tracks:
01. Setting 1:00
02. Plum 4:16
03. Bee Karma 3:55
04. Charles de Gaulle 4:17
05. High Rise 2:43
06. White Cat 4:14
07. The Trap 4:44
08. Ginger 2:10
09. Blue Cloud 7:50
10. Driving 7:06
© 2017 Drag City
Current members:
• Cory Hanson — vocals, guitar (2013~present)
• Lee Landey — bass (2013~present)
• Evan Burrows — drums (2013~present)
• Robert Cody — guitar (2016~present)
• Sofia Arreguin — backing vocals, synth (2016~present)
Former members
• Daniel Martens — guitar (2013~2015)
Ξ♣Ξ The first album in two years from West Coast psych outfit Wand and for this they’ve added two new members which has brought about a much more democratic songwriting process than before. The album was borne out of improvisational sessions which yielded dense and wildly chromatic music, pushing the envelope of their previous psych fuzz sound.
Review
By Paul McAleer
Ξ♣Ξ California’s Wand comes from a different time, staying true to their classic rock influences with each release through avoiding the cheap tricks the modern age offers. Ξ♣Ξ Plum marks a shift for Wand as it’s their first album featuring new guitarist Robbie Cody and keyboardist Sofia Arreguin, adding to the existing three members. Instead of frontman Cody Hanson bringing most of the material to the table, the songwriting process transformed into a collaborative environment relying on chemistry and improvisation from each member of the group.
Ξ♣Ξ The end result isn’t a shocking or sudden departure from Wand’s earlier work, but that’s fine because the music stays true to the type of record that’s timeless. Without the internet, it would be hard to say if Plum came out four years ago or 40. The record opens with “Setting,” beginning with a high~pitched drone like a time machine ready to go off. The title track follows with a focus on keys even though the rest of the album puts guitar riffs and solos at the forefront. The vocals from Hanson are reserved and soothing even at points when the instrumentation demands more. It works for the most part, but it’s hard not to want Hanson to unleash emotions that derail the psychedelic spectrum.
Ξ♣Ξ The album is full of standout tracks, including closer “Driving,” a song featuring Hanson at his most versatile, and “The Trap,” a slow burning heartbreaker reminiscent of Wilco’s Summerteeth in tone. Plum explores a handful of ideas throughout the album, offering something for every type of rock fan to enjoy, while solidifying each member as equally important to the band’s overarching success. Ξ♣Ξ http://beatroute.ca/
Works:
• Plum LP/Cass/CD/MP3/FLAC DC673 2017
• 1000 Days LP/Cass/CD/MP3/FLAC DC625 /WAND 3 2015
• Golem LP/CD In the Red 2015
• Ganglion Reef LP/Cass/CD/MP3/FLAC God#009 2014
Website: http://wandband.info/
Label: http://www.dragcity.com/
Bandcamp: https://wand.bandcamp.com/album/plum
♦»♠••›♣¤★↔★♦♠♦★Ω★♦»♠••›♣¤★↔★♦♠♦★Ω★♦»♠••›♣¤★↔★♦♠♦★Ω★♦»♠••›♣♠