‘Wavvves’, 2009
Their
follow-up album, the aptly-titled ‘Wavvves’ was released in February of 2009 on
less obscure independent label Fat Possum after being signed. At this point
their internet buzz earned them a few spots on 2009 SXSW music festival. By
now, drummer Ryan Ulsh was recruited for live shows. Despite this, the recording
of this ‘Wavves’ successor was still a strictly one-man process, and the method
for doing so remained the same as the debut: same terrible equipment, same terrible
production quality, albeit not as extreme as the debut, but still the same
relentless, don’t-give-a-fuck aesthetic that both conveys an effortlessly cool
image and captured the attention of the lo-fi scene only a few months prior. The
album is considerably more popular than their debut, and home to some of the
more memorable tracks of Wavves’ early career: songs like the nonchalant ‘So
Bored’, ‘No Hope Kids’ and ‘To The Dregs’ are a staple for any Wavves fan.
Being the debut’s spiritual successor, ‘Wavvves’ still features the same combo
of simple pop punk-esque songs and thick layers of reverberated, heavily-modulated,
scuzzy lo-fi saturation the debut exhibited. Lyrically, there is little change
from the debut, sporting Nathan Williams’ endearingly juvenile hooks about the
recurring themes of apathy, weed, boredom, the beach and loneliness,
accompanied by Nathans signature harmonising whoops and hollers. I can’t help
but feel a unique balance of both dreariness of tracks like the percussion-less,
almost mystifying track ‘Weed Demon’ and ‘How Are You’, and sunny, energetic
melodies and riffs combined with the comparatively melancholic and ever-so-vague
nature of the lyrics. However, its DIY production does call to attention some
of the issues the debut had in terms of its production; the lo-fidelity and
overall intentionally shitty production can potentially take away from the
content of the album’s songs upon prolonged listening. Although this case is
not as bad as the debut, songs begin to blend into each a
barely-distinguishable drone of rasping, cheap over-modulation, feedback and
fuzz. That aside, ‘Wavvves’ is definitely overall a more “refined”, and I use
this term loosely, spiritual successor to the debut, and despite the eventual draining
of the merciless distortion and feedback, definitely one of my personal
favourites. Raw, uncompromising and effortlessly cool.
