While it is getting cold outside, and everyone is glad the days of sweater weather are upon us, many are still clinging to the last dregs of summer that are fading away — American rock group Wavves is among them. Wavves’ new album “V” stands defiantly against the falling leaves, dripping with images of lazy, hungover mornings and sun-bleached beaches.
“V” is typical Wavves with a catch. While their songs once showed a devil-may-care, nonchalant attitude, there is now subtle desperation. As cathartic as this may seem for the band, “V” presents itself at times almost as a representation of frontman Nathan Williams’ rather tumultuous, past few years. Thus, “V” presents quite the dilemma — it’s either pure genius or sloppy and out of control.
With Wavves’ new release, listeners can hear that the men behind the music are all too self aware of their vices — namely drinking — and their perpetual inability to conquer them. As a result, the album listens like a very flat plot line. The exposition is a low, depressing message that sees slight improvement at the climax, only to go right back to where it started. In a pointless apology on “Way Too Much,” Williams says that he is “Sorry, if I woke you up this morning / it was early / The sun was coming up and I’ve been drinking, too much.”
The lyrics seem like they should be laid upon some droney, dark acoustic strumming. Instead, they fly against starkly contrasting — and very catchy — upbeat and beachy guitar riffs. Perhaps this hollow cheer is all that is keeping Williams going, and “V” is him laying it bare for listeners. He begins each track with penitence and moves to self realization, only to fall back to step one in the next song. With “V,” Wavves asks itself an important question — is realizing that there is a problem actually progress towards the solution at all?
Wavves’ new release is too personal to be universally lauded. The band is not just singing about, but rather, it’s showing a loss of control. They’re laughing at themselves but at the same time admitting they shouldn’t be laughing at all. Wavves has reached an unstable equilibrium with “V.” Where they will go from here is anyone’s guess.
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