In the clouds, down to Earth
The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs brings a new sense of force and power to the indie-rock duo’s discography. The album balances strength and softness with an overall dream-like atmosphere. The two multi-talented members of Wye Oak are Andy Stack who handles drums and keyboard, and Jenn Wasner who tackles vocals, electric and acoustic guitar. Despite the pair’s clear ability to work strongly together, the two worked on the album completely apart from each other, separated by nearly 2,000 miles, and met up every now and then to compare notes. This process allowed them to pour their all into the music rather than worry about rules or judgment. The end result is an unapologetic melting pot of sounds that still manage to fit seamlessly into one powerful album.
The album begins with “(tuning),” which is exactly what one might expect. The duo tunes their number of instruments in this organic 37 seconds. Even this simple tune gives insight to what the rest of the album will sound like and can be thought of as an auditory teaser trailer for the rest of the album. The end of the track blends seamlessly into the next, “The Instrument.” If the first track wasn’t enough of an indication, the first 30 seconds of “The Instrument” are sure to clue listeners in to the musical atmosphere of the album as synth takes over the dream pop-infused track. Wasner’s distinct voice kicks in, gentle yet able to stand out amongst the bass-heavy rock chorus. Her voice perfectly adds to the ethereal aura of the album on each track.
The first taste of Wasner’s vocals on the album is her musing “Suffering / I remember suffering,” showcasing the juxtaposition between her tender voice and the blunt lyrics that last through the whole album. Between “You can have everything, and still you have nothing” in the title track and “There is no such thing as truth / It is hard to admit you were all wrong, except some things are not for you” in “Say Hello,” the duo clearly felt no need to mince words. The forcefulness of the lyrics pairs perfectly with the album’s overall power.
The album ranges from tracks as soft as “My Signal,” which features not much more than Wasner’s voice and the occasional refreshing breeze of string instruments, to rock tracks like “Symmetry.” This song serves up a different take on the classic rock guitar solo and mixes it with layers of distorted guitar and heavy synth. Slower tracks like “Lifer” and “It Was Not Natural” shy away from too much synth and have an effortlessly cool quality to them.
“Over and Over” is reminiscent of some of Wye Oak’s older tunes with a clear folk influence and dance beat, but the synth and heavy drum help the track fit perfect on this album. Later on, “Join” is an uplifting and soothing tune. Bubbling synth and guitar dance through the song until it slowly fades to silence, just in time for feedback to build in intensity in the last few seconds. This bleeds into the last track, “I Know It’s Real.” Wasner’s voice is overflowing with emotion in this drum-heavy dream pop track which closes off the album on a high note.
The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs flawlessly dances the line between dreamy and down to earth—a line they created. The production is rich, plentiful and exquisite, overflowing with energy of every kind. Each second of this unapologetically candid album, whether a guitar is being tuned, violins are softly humming or electric guitar is thrashing, fits perfectly and packs a beautiful punch.
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