Ben Lowes-Smith discovers an arresting album from Wye Oak
Merge
Released: 06.04.18
The Louder I Call… is the fifth full length by Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, and the third to be made while the pair have been living in different cities. It’s a fully-fledged departure from the earnest, folk-inflected material that coloured their early work and is a strident, successful leap into sophisticated synth-pop.
Wasner’s vocal melodies on the record are particularly arresting, the melancholic timbre in her voice is allowed to soar here. Where lyrically it’s preoccupied with the anxieties of modern life, this is the most buoyant and colourful music the band have ever made. Dominated by gorgeous, strident synth parts that give the record a real sonic depth, the strength of the songwriting bears many repeated listens.
