-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal *
Artist..: Wray
Album...: Hypatia
GENRE...: Indie
STYLE...: Shoegaze, Indie Rock
YEAR....: 2016
ENCODER..: FLAC 1.2.1 -8 -V LABEL...: Communicating Vessels
BITRATE..: 810 kbps avg SOURCE..: CD
SIZE.....: 226.62 MB TRACKS..: 12
URL..: http://wrayofficial.com/
- TRACKLIST
1 Below 2:50
2 Giant 3:49
3 Hypatia 3:52
4 Plus 0:49
5 May 23rd 2:49
6 Regular 4:12
7 Diamond Gym 2:34
8 Shiva 3:35
9 Pined 4:20
10 Jennifer 3:38
11 Dymaxion Dream 1:31
12 Mounts Minding 4:01
Total Playtime: 38:00
Wray is one of those rare bands that effortlessly blend smart sonic
pluralities into a seamless whole without losing any of their DIY grit. Based
out of Birmingham, Alabama, the trioû comprised of lead singer/bass player
David Brown, guitarist David Swatzell, and drummer Blake Wimberlyù have a
shared history that reaches back over a decade in the Birmingham music scene.
Expectations for this compelling act continue to grow with the groundswell of
support and patronage theyÆve received since they first made their debut in
2013. Having received accolades from everyone from The New York Times to
MOJOû alongside appearances on MTVu and Daytrotterû their penchant for
adventurous music-making will pay big dividends in the years to come.
Following 2014Æs self-titled debut on Communicating Vessels, Wray has spent
the better part of the past year developing the ideas and sonic palette that
would become their sophomore LP Hypatia. Through experimentation and a robust
full length band, Wray has finally come into its own as a distinct entity.
*
The power trio Wray is at a crucial moment in its career. Its membersùsinger
and bassist David Brown, guitarist David Swatzell and drummer Blake
Wimberlyùare all in their 30s, having knocked around the fertile music scene
in Birmingham, Ala., since their teen years. WrayÆs new album, ôHypatiaö
(Communicating Vessels), is a surging wash of wavy guitars, relentless bass
and adroit percussion that blasts past much of the shoegaze rock to which it
will be compared. The band is about to begin touring behind ôHypatia,ö and
its members are wondering if itÆs time to give up their day jobs.
ôHypatiaö is WrayÆs second album and seeks to distinguish itself from its
predecessor from its opening moments: ôBelowö adds nuance to the raw sound of
the groupÆs self-titled 2014 debut by pulling on the reins of tempo. The band
members fold in patiently with Mr. BrownÆs rounded bass locking in with Mr.
WimberlyÆs pounded toms; as Mr. Swatzell sustains chords issued with a single
stroke, Mr. Brown sings behind the beat. The hypnotic performance, clocking
in under three minutes, ends too soon. But there are 11 more tracks to come;
most are as enticing.
During a phone conversation from Birmingham last week, the trio members said
they found their power through repetition and tension. Mr. Wimberly spoke of
repeating motifs that ôbuild and build before releasing.ö The title track,
largely the result of chugging guitars under Mr. BrownÆs dreamy, echo-laden
vocal, builds to a muscular climax. The instrumental ôDiamond Gym,ö which Mr.
Wimberly called a ôpalate cleanser,ö fades in and sustains its tautness even
as roaring chords usher in a bright guitar line and Mr. BrownÆs bass fills
the middle. Once Mr. Wimberly locks into a pounding pattern, he hardly ever
leaves it over the course of the album.
The terrific ôMay 23rdö is brazen, wailing shoegaze rock. The term
ôshoegaze,ö which the band neither embraces nor rejects, has lost its precise
meaning, as have many terms used to describe various forms of post-punk.
Though it can denote an inwardly focused form of rock with bands playing
without overtly engaging the audience, the best shoegaze brings listeners to
it with its droning intensity and unremitting precision. The British band
Slowdive is one of WrayÆs many influences, as is the rhythmic exactness of
krautrock, and itÆs easy to imagine the trio enjoying the music of the Jesus
and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, among others. (A comprehensive
overview of shoegaze arrives next week in ôStill in a Dream: A Story of
Shoegaze 1988-95,ö a five-CD boxed set from Cherry Red.)
ôHypatiaö also reveals the trioÆs other influences. ôGiantö is raved-up rock
ÆnÆ roll, even after the vocalist enters with a whispery topline. The chipper
ôJenniferö brushes up against Æ60s psychedelic pop, as does ôShiva,ö which
pushes Mr. BrownÆs voice to the fore as Mr. Swatzell rakes his chords and
distorts his sound with the guitarÆs tremolo bar.
Earlier this month, the band performed four songs with the Alabama Symphony
Orchestra. Though the gig had been on the books since mid-2015, Wray had only
one day of rehearsal with the orchestra. ôDelight turned to terror then back
to delight,ö Mr. Brown said. Brooklyn-based composer William Brittelle
reworked Wray compositions, unraveling their density while retaining the
basic structure. The trio turned down the volume to allow Mr. BrittelleÆs
minimalist arrangement to shine through, Mr. Brown said. Now that the band
has been acknowledged by the classical-music world, he added, family members
look at the group with higher regard.
With the launch of ôHypatia,ö Wray performs next week in New York and
Washington, D.C. Mid-February finds the trio in Lexington, Ky.; Chicago; St.
Louis; and Memphis, Tenn., on successive nights, and an appearance at the
South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, in March is under discussion.
If ôHypatiaö gets the reception it deserves, opportunities to perform farther
and wider will ensue. What Mr. Wimberly called the ôscaryö decision of
choosing to take on the full-time rock life may be made for the group by the
support of a growing fan base. ôHypatiaö will make music lovers hope that it
happens.
*
LetÆs get this straight right off the bat û this is very, very good.
Shimmering guitars and melodies; hooks and a clean, crisp sound. This young
trio from Birmingham, Alabama (no, not Birmingham, England, funnily enough!)
who call themselves Wray, have taken the more melodic side of the old British
ôshoegazerö ethos and made it much enjoyable and palatable on Hypatia, their
debut album. Keep in mind, this is a sound IÆm very fond of by nature (as I
was in my teens going into the mid-Æ80Æs), so it makes it even more
pleasurable that this record brings back good memories and the joy that a
young band is exploring this style for themselves.
With the opening track, ôBelowö, I can sense the haze of the heavily chorused
Jaguar, strumming through the broad chords that fill this piece û which sets
the table for ôGiantö. This particular number comes right from the Seventeen
Seconds handbook û murky, enigmatic but instead of minor chords and a dark
vibe, this is much more strident and buoyant û none of the mid-period CureÆs
dirginess. A happier bastard son of ôPlay For Todayö, actually. The title
track, ôHypatiaö continues the mix of The Cure and the melody of ôUnder The
Milky Wayö, which is strong and solid (itÆs also the first video for this
album, included below). ôMay 23rdö has a very Chameleons-like feel and an
immediately grabbing riff that hooked me in and ôJenniferö is another
fast-paced piece that goes into full throttle noise assault after the
choruses û a neat and clever device, which makes an already-outstanding song
shine even more.
WeÆre not even into the new year and this first album from Wray shows this
could be yet another stellar year. High marks to this band for knowing how
to be creative, consistent and interesting while being catchy and tuneful.
-=- SHGZ -=-
P.S.
** Thanks ***
*** BCC FNT IPC SSR ***
*** For Knowing Where The Music Is At ***
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* NuHS we miss you! *
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