Wives - Wifes

Lansdale, PA's own Wives are back with their sophomore effort titled Wifes. The follow up to their self-titled debut finds the group getting down and dirty once again on a noise filled opus that runs the gamut between heavy, archaic rhythms and subtle, spaced out jams that really shows off the wealth of diversity that the group are capable of pulling off at any given time.

We start things out with "Cheaters" an eerie, pulsating track that starts things out on an appropriate note with the fervent vocal abilities of lead singer Nico Warhol and Charles Schneider's unique bass handling abilities ensure that things start out on a loud and reckless tone right out of the gate. My favorite track off the album is "Girl Kept Running", an enthusiastic, melodic rocker that evokes the carefree spirit and no holds barred nature of the album that the band were aiming for when they were recording these tracks in the studio. An indelible experience complete with insatiable guitar licks and a steady pace that ensures everything moves along according to plan and ends right on cue. "Ring Finger" is an eerie, mysterious number that is different from the previous tracks and aims to invoke a sense of aura and mysteriousness that we started seeing signs of at scattered points throughout the album, but makes its first full fledged appearance right here and starts to usher in the next half of the album with great anticipation.

And the second half begins with "We're All Surrealists" a fervent, pulsating track that features loud and piercing vocals knocking down your door and a gritty, take charge attitude that commands your attention the minute you first hear it. The disc gets ready to close up shop with "These People", a stripped down, bare bones track that reads like a spoken word track that almost hypnotizes you to stop what you're doing and listen to what they have to say. "She Smokes Cigarettes" ends our journey here with a spaced out, fuzzy rocker that comes complete with the usual bells and whistles we've all heard in one way, shape, or form here and allows us to reflect and realize that our time here was well spent. I always appreciate bands who think outside of the box and do things that deviate greatly from the norm and what is usually expected of bands, and Wives have accomplished just that with an effort that throws out the rulebook completely and allows the guys to just be themselves and show the listening audience what they have in their arsenal.

In summary, a well thought out and accomplished collection from Wives, who are among a growing collection of bands who are adopting their own set of musical rules and regulations to abide by, and comes with a definite swagger and identity that you just don't see enough of these days.

                                                                                                                                Album Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. Cheaters
2. Game Changer
3. Girl Kept Running
4. Ring Finger
5. We're All Surrealists
6. Animal
7. These People
8. She Smokes Cigarettes