Baltimore duo Wye Oak look to obey no musical boundaries. Since signing with Merge Records in 2008 they have bravely let their sound morph into different shapes, giving the impression that they let the music naturally develop. Independently released If Children and 2010’s Knot contained earth-tone folk rock filled with warm yet moody melodies comparable to Elliot Smith. Last year’s Civilian showed Wye Oak creating ambience with a wider experimentation in electronic sounds. Much like the actual Wye Oak tree, the duo’s music from 2008-2010 was rigid and hearty yet erose with texture, feeling natural enough to wrap one’s arms around.
This summer’s “Spiral” track was recorded for the Adult Swim Singles Program. It does not completely chop the tree down, but perhaps it showers on chemicals that artificially fertilize gorgeous toxic florescent foliage from Wye Oak’s branches. Unlike earlier Wye Oak, this is not a song that will help recognize the melancholy buried inside ourselves, or ease our complicated minds with spiritual depth that one can believe in. “Spiral” is not a song for thinking. There is a good chance that “Spiral” will make you and your friends dance together.
Bubbling vocals and a popping neo-1980s disco chillwave beat remind one less of the state tree of Maryland (Wye Oak) and more of Miami Vice. The second half of this piece moves away from any dance-party mold, losing the heavy beat and stepping into a very interesting space. Jittering chorus-heavy guitar dances alongside a subtle clinking island beat. Twisting glimpses of reverse synth pads give way to a brief moment of computer-death noise glitch, finishing with a peaceful tribal percussion farewell. “Spiral” solidifies how Wye Oak has now grown into something nearly unrecognizable.