Fairy Rust is the second full length release from Kentucky based 'art-punk' trio Wombo, widening the scope of the band’s angular and twisted powers that have grown immensely in a relatively short amount of time. Sydney Chadwick's bass has an intense elasticity to it that bends and bobs through wiry and sometimes avant guitar from Cameron Lowe and the nimble drumwork of Joel Taylor, creating the foundation for each of these songs. Wombo have always relied on a heavy dose of quirk and inventive scrambling of song form which allowed Chadwick's vocals to stretch and swoop through with surreal dream-like lyrics, all of which still exists on this record but there is a bit more development and depth at play. The trio's ability to meld classic post-punk grooves with a controlled chaos of jazz inspiration is one of their most impressive features and Fairy Rust bumps those features up to eleven.
"Sour Sun" is a song that that goes through quite a metamorphosis in its two minutes, starting off with a slightly dark angular post-punk skittishness before giving way to a cloudy haze provided by Lowe's reverb drenched guitar. Chadwick's vocals reach to their highest range, sliding into fuzzy elongation as Lowe throws out skronking riffs while wild fills flit around shuffling manic drums and cymbal crashes during the middle section before giving way to the dreamy ether once again. "Regular Demon" connects with a heavy mood driven by rumbling bass accompanied with rolling drums and a sort of Killing Joke-like guitar attack and restrained wildness. Chadwick's multi-tracked vocals add to the sense of disorientation that relentlessly runs through the track, leaving a hair-raising anxiousness before the song abruptly cuts out.
"Backflip" has a wiry and jagged Gang of Four feel powered by Chadwick’s popping and slinky bass, punctuated by Taylor's sharp repeated fills. The punk edginess is ramped up with a tension that just finds a way to work and keeps everything tilted around the recessed psychedelic feel of the vocals. "RVW" is a bit of moody reverb heavy drippiness that slowly saunters through its cloudiness, reminiscent of the moodier moments of bands like Stereolab, Broadcast, and early Cocteau Twins. Chadwick's vocals have a breathiness to them as she employs a slightly rushed delivery of her sparse and abstracted storytelling, aided by the double tracking and Lowe's shimmering guitar intrusions.
Wombo have crafted a record that delivers many distinct impressions on the listener with its frayed nerves punk agitations contrasting quite nicely with the cloud-like hazy dreamscapes they like to sprinkle in for sonic texture. Chadwick and company repeatedly show their musical versatility and range while still making everything sound remarkably welcoming, even at its most nervy. The ability to play with moods is one of the most remarkable things about this record and Chadwick, Lowe, and Taylor prove themselves quite capable at whatever avenue they choose to explore. Fairy Rust hits the audience with the trio’s tsunami of unique artistic expression, that at its core shows a tremendous amount of growth and connection between all involved. Wombo deliver an album that continues to establish themselves as one of the more intriguing bands on the scene today, embracing the oddity and creativity embedded in this project. - Kris Handel