Image by Karen Sterling
Baltimore duo Wye Oak gives Brooklyn a dynamics lesson
April 12, 2008, at Union Hall
By Liz Schroeter
Published: April 14th, 2008 | 4:50pm
Wye Oak’s music is deceptively simple. With only two members — Andy Stack on drums and Jenn Wasner on guitars — one might expect to hear barebones tunes from this Baltimore duo. And yes, as they opened their set at Brooklyn’s Union Hall with “Please Concrete,” the song that also opens their Merge Records debut If Children, it was just a simple, finger-picked guitar melody and the drums keeping a quiet, steady beat.
Soon Wasner’s voice, simultaneously girly and gritty (a bit like Cat Power’s Chan Marshall), started in, and it became clear that her singing alone would be enough to make these songs something more complex. But not about to leave it at that, halfway into the song, Wye Oak unleashed a wall of guitar distortion and wonderful, crashing noise from the drums. Indeed, so much more than meets the eye.
Wasner and Stack are deft at the soft/loud thing — that dynamic utilized by a number of beloved bands from the mid-'90s. Of course, at only 21 years of age, Wasner wasn’t likely rocking out to Velocity Girl back then. Plus, given the way her voice, sounding wise beyond its years, commands attention, it’s hardly an accurate comparison. All the same, it’s glorious when the quieter moments let the vocals shine through and just as wonderful when the noise kicks back in, prompting several people in the front row to throw their arms up in joyful response.
“We love playing at Union Hall,” Wasner told the audience. “It’s kind of like playing at a haunted mansion,” she added, referring no doubt to the cozy club’s many eerie old paintings and shabby-chic décor.
Fleshing out their sound and impressing audience members who are close enough in the packed room to witness this feat of multitasking, Stack can be seen drumming with his right hand while contributing keyboard melodies with his left. He also adds high-register vocal harmonies on some songs, including a new one called “Take It In.” Minor chords bend in an almost-bluesy style on this new song, and Wasner’s voice slides and bends in the same fashion. They had the audience stomping along.
When the band finished its fairly brief performance, the audience clapped and yelled for more. With no real backstage to speak of at Union Hall, the two stood there grinning and shrugging at each other until they retook their places and gave us one more new song. There were shouts of “One more!” that followed, and Wasner laughed and said, “I don’t think we know any more songs, seriously!” We can look forward to future shows when Wye Oak will have even more to offer, and hope that the duo doesn't lose its youthful exuberance it has right out of the gate.
Issue #35
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