Review / 200 Words Or Less
Wye Oak
The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs

Merge (2018) Brendan Hilliard

Wye Oak – The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs cover artwork
Wye Oak – The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs — Merge, 2018

Wye Oak have never made the same record twice, and on The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs, it’s not about to change. Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack grow by leaps and bounds on each release, and this, their first proper studio album since 2014’s Shriek has them taking the synth heavy sounds of that record and Wasner’s excellent Flock of Dimes side project and bridging that with the hypnotic drum and guitars found on 2011’s classic Civilian in a way that sounds panoramic. “Lifer” sounds like a conservative synth track before it blows wide open into Wasner’s gargantuan guitar solo, while “Symmetry” sounds like a track from an 80’s action flick doused in nightmare fuel and lit ablaze. Wye Oak always make records worth checking out. Dig right in and stay for a while. This one is damn near untouchable.

Wye Oak – The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs cover artwork
Wye Oak – The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs — Merge, 2018

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