As the extra letter "v" in its name might suggest, Wavves has always made music that seems a little off. Maybe it's the band's distorted, low-fi sound, or propensity for minor chords. Whatever it is, I think fans and haters can both agree there's something different about them, even within the West Coast garage rock genre. This slightly off-center characteristic is what makes the band so addictive, fun and exciting to listen to. Wavves is different, but in the best possible way. The band's new album, "Afraid of Heights," is a multidimensional record in which Nathan Williams, the group's front man and creative constant, embraces his bummed out, paranoid and slightly of-kilter surf rock persona to create a dark but truly enjoyable 13-song listen.
Wavves began making music four years ago with its self-titled debut album, "Wavves." Filled with distorted falsetto and eclectic low-fi noise, the album received critical attention that allowed the group's follow-up album, "King of the Beach," to become a huge sub-rock hit. It was here that Williams and Wavves started experimenting with catchier hooks and a less low-fi, but still very garage-rock, sound that they expanded in "Afraid of Heights." This new album is, in my opinion, Wavves at its best and shows many sides of the sometimes tough-to-follow band that has recorded everything from a full track of distorted monotonic rambling to a Christmas song for Target ads.
Released last week, "Afraid of Heights" is Wavves' fourth record to date and is more depressed, but definitely rocking one. Filled with distortion, Williams' trademark bratty dark lyrics and bummed out but noisy riffs, it's an album that is sometimes a little tough to understand. Despite the fact that it is often hard to relate to, the record is an entertaining and thought-provoking listen all the same. All 13 songs build off of each other and are connected almost aggressively at times by the surf rock reverb and Williams' mid-tempo but loud self-loathing paranoia.
Williams, who openly struggled with alcoholism and depression on his last tour and throughout the recording of the album, is a troubled character. This inner struggle can be heard, both lyrically and musically, over the course of "Afraid of Heights" and adds another element of intrigue to the already slightly off and interesting Wavves.
"Afraid of Heights" opens with the catchiest but most paranoid punk track on the album, "Sail to the Sun." The song is an up-tempo and distorted rhythm guitar heavy one, in which Williams sings, or at times shouts, about getting high, soaking up the sun and thinking about death. The chorus, in which the minor chord dominated and almost unnerving verses turn into head banging and relatable riffs, sets the tone for the rest of the album. The song in a way warns listeners that they're going to be uncomfortable at times, but end up rocking out all the same to Wavves' inescapable bratty and paranoid charm.
My favorite song on the album is without a doubt the featured track, "Demon To Lean On." It's a slower but louder, mid-tempo ode to Williams' almost schizophrenic troubles and thoughts about death. At face value, the song is not depressing by any means. It's more of a rebellion against his distressing thoughts than a wallowing in them. With heavy drums and even heavier reverb guitar riffs, he brings his listener right into his world of rock and roll self-loathing in the best possible way.
The most interesting and mature song on the album is "Cop," in which Williams sings about the strange story of a man, John, who has just killed a policeman. It is ironically the album's most upbeat and affectionate song and features a softer side of Williams that has yet to be seen in pretty much any of his music to date. With a more acoustic and less distorted sound, it represents a cleaner and more relatable Wavves that might be the future of the band if Williams can get out of his self-loathing punk phase that has defined his discography thus far. The song's whimsicality is definitely a refreshing escape from the album, which is, at times, a little too heavy for me.
The low-fi, surf rock genre is often thought of as a type of music that goes no deeper than singing about getting high, going surfing and living a life as distorted as the washed out amps and synths might suggest. Although Wavves does at times seem to fall into this typecast, "Afraid of Heights" as a whole goes much deeper than bands sometimes associated with it, like Best Coast or Hella, ever have. It is an incredibly introspective and powerful album that defies the stereotypes sometimes associated with Wavves' genre. It is definitely worth a listen, even if at times it's a little tough to swallow.
