The Wye Oak was Maryland’s honorary tree until it fell victim to a vicious thunderstorm in the summer of 2002. It was believed to be over 460 years old at the time of its death. The guitar-version of the band Wye Oak only existed for about seven years, but I imagine a similar sense of shock and loss shook the citizens of Baltimore when the duo announced that their next record would be a guitar-less affair.
The worrying was for nothing. What Shriek lacks in guitars, it more than makes up for in synths; I’m talking shimmering synth melodies, shiny synth loops, and sparkling synth chords. Sometimes when I listen to this record I even confuse Jenn Wasner’s vocals, as glorious as they are, for synth parts.
Like Civilian, Shriek consists of ten top-notch tunes of pretty good verses and killer choruses. Unlike Civilian, Shriek sounds purposefully deprived of guitars, and I can’t see any reason for purposefully neglecting an instrument that would only enhance your sound. Wye Oak is a fantastic band, and this album shows just how diverse the duo truly is. But if you have access to a full palette, you might as well use it.
Shriek
- "Before"
- "Glory"
- "Logic of Color"