Calming themes of instrumental nature

Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak has made a new name for herself, that being Flock of Dimes, with her latest album Like So Much Desire. Wasner brings her many instrumental talents to the table, served with enchanting vocals that are fit for a lullaby. Like So Much Desire is filled with intimate pieces that bring about the urge to sway to the gentle rhythm and incredible instrumentals that the artist presents, executed with talent developed from an early age, for Wasner began playing piano at the age of five and guitar at the age of 12. 

“Spring in Winter” begins the album with a beautiful concentration on piano paired with airy and feathery vocals that somehow contrast and mirror the piano’s presence at the same time. The piano begins as the sole presence of the song, then paves the way for Wasner’s beguiling vocals, and once both have been introduced separately, they begin to form a relationship and continue in a smoothly intertwined nature.

The track “Like So Much Desire,” taking the name of the album itself, was recorded in Wasner’s room during isolation. The entirety of the album itself is already intimate, but “Like So Much Desire” takes that intimacy to the next level, understandable due to the setting in which it was created. This song presents themes of desire and grief and the inevitability of loss in conjunction with gain.

“Again (For the First Time)” offers compassion and emotional support, her lyrics speaking “You don’t have to carry it alone,” meaning that the burdens one has to carry do not have to be carried alone and that there will always be someone there to offer comfort. Wasner’s soothing voice and affirmative lyrics convey the theme of the tune perfectly. “When the Body Does Not” seems to contrast this slightly, issuing an ostensibly melancholy theme. Orchestral instruments take over with daunting and drawn out chords. In this track, Wasner alludes to a major loss in her life, her lyrics singing: “Life goes on without you/ And the world goes on without us/ And the feeling remains/ When the body does not” as well as “Had all that I needed/ I couldn’t enjoy it/ Eyes still fixed on the void.”

“Thank You Friends and Strangers” discusses Wasner’s life as a musical artist. She recounts how strange it is to “Take my insides and put them out” these lyrics referring to the intimacy she brings from her true self into the music she then releases to the rest of the world. 

Jenn Wasner brings magnificent piano and guitar work of an ordinary musical nature to her album, executed entirely well. In conjunction with these regular musical accompaniments, Wasner incorporates bright sounds of nature, causing one to feel as though they are sat upon a hilltop feeling the breeze between their hair and the sun on exposed skin. Like So Much Desire displays many musical, vocal and thematic talents that are individual and incredibly calming, an overall pleasure to listen to.