Wye Oak @ Rock & Roll Hotel - 6/22/16
It's been ten mother-effing years!" said Jenn Wasner to the sold-out crowd at Rock & Roll Hotel. Formed in mid-2006 in Maryland and continuing to earn the praise of music critics everywhere, Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner’s two-piece indie rock band surprised fans on June 9th by releasing their new album, Tween, at the same moment it was announced.
Comprised of unreleased songs conceived during the recording of their two previous albums, Tween isn’t considered a “new” album, but instead contains songs that fit comfortably on either one of those previous records. Employing a release strategy we’re seeing more often these days, the physical record won’t be available till 8/6 (on Merge Records) which meant that instead of a CD or an LP at the merch table, the album was being sold as a downloadable code bundled with the purchase of a band poster. Not a bad way to move some merch, honestly.
Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak performing at the Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington, DC (photo by Mauricio Castro / @TheMauricio)
Their 2014 album, Shriek, known for being the album where Wasner dropped the guitar for the bass, was a “radical” shift in the band’s sound. Ultimately, however, the quality of the songs assuaged any fear of change longtime fans might have had. Stack’s unique approach of playing the drums (one hand playing the synths with the other hand working the skins) has always left room for Wasner to build moods with her guitar/army of effects pedals. Wye Oak can infuse a song with more energy than bands twice their size and nowhere in the set was that more apparent than when they broke out the track “For Prayer” from their sophomore release The Knot. Furiously cutting into her guitar and flailing about on stage, Wasner and Stack grabbed the audience by their ears and didn’t let go.
After “ten mother-effing years,” Jenn and Andy are still having fun. As is too common in the music world, it can be hard for a band to find the motivation to push their boundaries after a few albums, but thanks to Shriek and now Tween, fans have reassurance that while Wye Oak isn’t afraid to change things up, they’re not going to let the fans down. The band closed out their main set with a stripped-down version of “I Hope You Die,” (from 2010’s excellent My Neighbor/My Creator) that featured a clean electric guitar, lush synths, and Wasner’s powerful voice, and left the audience with their jaws on the floor.
Opening for Wye Oak was four-piece band Teen, who recently released their latest album, Love Yes. Hailing from NYC and Halifax, their combination of new-wave, 60s pop, and four part harmonies made for a great live show that likely gained them new fans. Songs like “All About Us” and “Gone For Good” helped the band show off their peppy, synth-fueled take on pop music.
