by Kris Handel
Wednesday is a five piece out of Western North Carolina and Twin Plagues is their sophomore full length after a handful of EP’s and collaborations and a promising full-length debut in 2019. Karly Hartzman takes care of lead vocals and unravels tales of fleeting moments in life and paints a portrait of these events in all their sometimes-horrifying glory. These moments unravel throughout a record that travels between moments of swelling noise/distortion and heartfelt twanging/aching folk that blends so well in the listening experience. Wednesday manage to incorporate so many emotions in new and winding ways, taking you down pathways that lead to delight after delight over these ten songs.
“Cliff” is powered by Hartzman’s vocals which carry an emotional weight that holds its ground against the whirling pedal steel guitar of Xandy Chelmis and guitar work that leads to a screaming finish. Wednesday work a melody that grabs your attention immediately between the distortion and the slightly abstract lyrics that are captivating and delivered immaculately. The title track is full of thunder and shards of noise laying the foundation for Hartzman’s equally soaring and straining vocals and echoing guitars along with Jake Lenderman and Chelmis. The swirling discord comes in waves, making an impact and lending even more muscle to an already furiously pounding instrumental storm.
“How Can You Live If You Can’t Love How Can You If You Do” is change of pace on this record with its stunning melody aided by swooping pedal steel flourishes and slowly picked guitar lines as Hartman weaves an aching tale. This is a moment of masterful aching beauty, a piece of songwriting that uses space and expertly crafted lyrics. “Ghost of a Dog” is another slower paced yet extremely powerful use of emotions and quiet, almost minimalistic, atmosphere that shows off the nuanced charm Wednesday use to full effect. They tug at the heart in an unfortunate tale featuring a tormenting apparition of the canine persuasion and trauma/grief as Hartzman’s voice breaks and cracks throughout.
Twin Plagues hones the strength and craft Wednesday have shown on previous releases and shows a band that is hitting the mark on all of its aims. The songwriting of Hartzman has a guile that goes well beyond what one can or should expect from an artist and band that is in a relatively young stage. Wednesday play with the loud/quiet dynamic in an exciting manner, adding their own unique touches and techniques to push their music in new and exciting directions that show themselves in every track. This is a record that will present something different on every listen. There is something here that will have you returning to it over and over again, leaving you with a smile on your face while doing so.