Certain critical terms get taken as pejorative when they’re merely descriptive: “Droning,” for example, doesn’t necessarily mean boring or moribund. When used to describe a sound, “drone” usually means “a low hum,” and when employed by a band as skilled as Maryland’s Wye Oak, a low hum can convey a rich palette. … The songs on The Knot range from the pounding, cavernous “Take It In” to the lilting, catchy “Siamese,” but all of them rely on a few simple sounds vibrating steadily in their own individual spaces, before rolling on top of each other like lovers who’ve been waiting all day for a little privacy. … Wye Oak isn’t breaking any new ground in the exciting field of drone-exploration, but the band’s tone is striking — like a tuning fork with the blues. MORE
