by Case Cockrell (@Casebaylor)
Los Angeles' Wand is a different band these days. The psychedelic punk speedruns of Golem, Ganglion Reef, and 1000 Days are long in the rearview, and Wand chief songwriter Cory Hanson is taking alternate angles with every move the modern incarnation of the band makes. Through sound exploration, a handful of solo ventures, and collaborations, Hanson has found his most recent voice with the latest effort from his main touring act. On new album Vertigo, Wand reinvents the wheel again by continuing to carve out their own niche in the world of neo-psychedelia. While they have swapped their guitar pedal whirlwind of mosh-ready bangers for a more refined, often experimental approach, fans of the band's career up to this point will be presented with a more thought-provoking, motif-packed full-length that requires repeated listens to take in what each track has to offer.
Since the 2017 album Plum, Wand has begun an 180-degree turn, this change has been a part of the West Coast act for quite some time now, so any hopes of returning to their original form have long been thrown to the wayside. The results of their latest effort lies in the creative freedom that Hanson has been sculpting for over a decade running. The album has a mission to be more varied and versatile than ever before, showcasing creative songwriting that gives off an aura of orchestral-like arrangements, producing some of the most diverse sounds they’ve made to date.
On opening track "Hangman," Hanson produces a Thom Yorke-oriented drawl that pulls you into an ethereal space within his mind. The track slowly fades into an echo and tremolo-filled abyss, and the cathartic slow burn builds at a patient, worthwhile pace. The last minute of the track develops into an OK Computer-esque explosion, allowing for what's left to fade straight into the following track, "Curtain Call". The percussive precision from longtime collaborator Evan Burrows is still intact, his jazz-like delivery helps take each track to a thundering climax. "High Time" shows Wand at their loudest on this record, complete with wall-of-sound guitars, aggressive four-on-the-floor drum beats, and the exquisite delivery from Hanson making a statement for a band that's grown to be more than a member of the SoCal neo-psych scene.
A great thing about this record is the lack of formulation among each composition. It is readily evident that each song came organically. The band was said to have gone into the studio and jammed the songs out until each offering was concise to the group's liking. After 2017's 70-minute epic, Laughing Matter, Wand maintains their prolific streak of long, sprawling cuts on tracks like "Smile," kicking off the record's latter half where the band's chemistry takes attention-grabbing gear. The twinkling guitars and distorted bass serve as the backbone behind Hanson's mesmerizing vocal delivery, letting the often mellow vibes of the record dynamically break apart and give older fans of the band something to bite off of while wading through the reverberating ocean of instrumental bliss.
Wand's live show does its newest material justice. Hanson isn't becoming mellower as his career has progressed, the musician is exploring what he and his ensemble can truly do beyond their original form. With more freely concocted efforts, Wand is stronger and more widespread than ever on Vertigo. By developing a new sound and abandoning any cliche that gave them their rise to initial fame, they’ve transcended the scene in which they came up, and it works to minor fault, even when Burrows and Hanson pick up to play for fellow psych rock warrior Ty Segall. The duo's main act retains its eleven year staying power with palpable enthusiasm.