by Ross Holder
Wednesday are back after their very well received sophomore album, Twin Plagues, with a full-length covers album. Their third album release on Ordinal Records, Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling ‘em Up sees Wednesday tackle songs from Roger Miller, Drive-By Truckers, Hotline TNT, Vic Chesnutt and Smashing Pumpkins. There is an array of different genres on display and the fuzzy swelling distortion we’ve grown to love is ever-present, making for a fun listen, especially during the country numbers. Although loud, there are plenty of softer, dynamic moments which are usually ushered in by Karly Hartzman’s controlled vocals between screeching guitars.
The first introduction to the band’s influences is with squealing feedback, which is in stark contrast to Gary Stewart’s original, “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinking Double)”. The key change after the first chorus only adds to the tension as the band whirrs back up in an electrical cacophony which strongly implies that a broken, drunken night is indubitable. The almost uncontrollable whine of the lap steel is the sonic personification of a rambling drunk lamenting an unfaithful lover. “I am the Cosmos” is even lonelier and more isolated than Chris Bell puts across in the original. Zach Romeo doubles the vocals in a lower register and is the first and only guest collaboration on the album. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the band from Asheville, North Carolina are inspired by country music considering there is a permanent lap steel player in the band, but the way they coat intimate, solemn country songs together with aggressive, electrical shrieking is inspiring.
There are some more obvious selections and covering a Hotline TNT song is a slightly more apparent choice, being noisy fuzz lovers themselves. There is a good bit of clarity when Wednesday play it with the help from their lap steel player Xandy Chelmis, as it cuts through an otherwise fuzzy mix. Hotline TNT and Wednesday are well-established players in the slacker rock scene and this cover is quite true to the original. “Rabbit Box” is a quieter number and is also quite true to the original, which is a little softer and intimate from the usual Wednesday sound. Guitarist MJ Lenderman and Hartzman’s vocals are interwoven delicately, a nice homage to Vic Chesnutt.
The album ends with a Smashing Pumpkins number. Dropping the late ‘90s drum shuffle from “Perfect” helps deliver the sincerity of the lyrics in a much more sombre way. Lenderman’s vocals are eerie, floating through the song in a style that is reminiscent of Grouper. Topping Smashing Pumpkins in melancholy is a tough thing to do, but the way this cover is delivered hits you right there. Lenderman and Hartzman’s interwoven vocals finish the album with a feeling of nostalgia that would make the Pumpkins proud.
Doing a covers record can be a tricky endeavor. Getting the balance of making the song your own, whilst keeping the spirit of the original is something that many artists have tried and failed to do. For a band like Wednesday, it seems to come naturally. The North Carolina natives are a prolific band, having released three studio albums, several EPs, singles, and other collaborations in the space of three years and Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling them Up is rewarding in its sincerity and is a great glimpse into what music made the musicians.