Pretty, strange and purposeful.
Wednesday’s sixth album, Bleeds, creates a daring world that is both grounded and airborne, soft to the touch but deep as the sea. Their country-infused indie rock sound takes on a new form here, with the band showcasing a firm grip on their identity and delivering an album that feels fully intentional.
The strength of Karly Hartzman’s voice shines brightly as her delivery and tone arrive like a soft, romantic breeze, yet never sounding passive. Hartzman still captures the intensity that is needed to deliver her intense choruses. This, combined with the soft layered vocals across the album, creates a tangible texture further immersing you. She delivers on both the softer songs and faster, more intense ones, showing off her range.
Instrumentally, Bleeds offers chord progressions that twist and curve in unexpected directions while always sounding sonically appealing. Melodies seem to be pulled from the air, fully expressing the creative spark the band has when playing together. This is very apparent in the choruses, which always arrive with a satisfying emotional lift. They are never in your face but are always memorable and catchy, combining with the band’s fine tuned playing style.
From small-town stories to murder suicides, Wednesday crafts a string of wildly different narratives. They are held together by unsettling, haunting lyrics that somehow still manage to feel comforting. Lyrics such as “They forced themselves inside / And found the scattered piles of a Carolina murder suicide” (“Carolina Murder Suicide”) and “I’m sick, can’t fuck, push the paint around / Castrated in my mental death” (“Wasp”), showcase the deep, dark nature of a lot of their lyrics. This, paired with poetically romantic lyrics like “Cause I freckle and you tan, I find comfort that angels don’t give a damn” (“Elderberry Wine”) and “I know it’s not been easy, And I know it can’t always be / And that’s the way love goes” (“The Way Love Goes”), weirdly make sense with each other. These lyrics make the project into what it is: they tie everything together from the melodies to the bass lines.
Bleeds is a project by a band that has grown into themselves. Compared to older projects, it feels more polished and organic. There is a clear and consistent sense of style throughout the twelve songs. Bleeds feels both self-contained and wide open, diving deeper into all of what has made Wednesday’s sound so enjoyable.
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