Wye Oak's third album, Civilian, offers an outstanding blend of indie rock motifs; you'll be hard-pressed to find a song that lacks a pleasant familiarity. However, the range of sounds that encompass the album seems to point in the direction contemporary alternative music is progressing. The progression from bubbly dream pop ("The Altar") to post-rock guitar dirges ("Dog Eyes") to delicate folk ("Doubt") is executed seamlessly. If you label the music as "derivative" and scoff, you'll take it back after another listen. The orchestration is the main highlight of the album, but don't let that shadow the pertinent lyrics delivered by vocalist/guitarist Jenn Wasner. According to Wasner, the songs ""are, as a whole, about aloneness (the positive kind), loneliness (the horrible kind), moving on, and letting go (of people, places, and things)." Civilian drops on March 8th via Merge Records. Check it out, and hear why Wye Oak is one of the strongest male/female duos currently on the American indie rock circuit.
- Joe Iannazzo
Recommended if you like: Atlas Sound, Stars, Beach House
Focus tracks: "The Altar", "Holy Holy", "Hot as Day"