The Wands

The Dawn

Written by: BV on 03/11/2014 19:56:23

I first became acquainted with The Wands via their debut EP ”Hello I Know The Blow You Grow Is Magic”, released during 2012. At the time, I saw (or heard) a lot of potential in the band, but I felt that there was still an air of clichés surrounding their otherwise aesthetically pleasing music. Having since gotten round to seeing them live a few times, experiencing their development firsthand I became increasingly excited at the prospects for the imminent arrival of their debut full-length album. The album is titled “The Dawn” and features no less than 10 songs dripping in psychedelia of both the vintage 60’s kind, as well as a more modernist-tinged approach to the genre.

Opening with “Sound of the Machine”, The Wands nod their heads in the general direction of 60’s psych with the quirky chord progression, the subtle organ underlining the soundscape and Christian Skibdal’s characteristic vocals emanating through the thick fog of sonic playfulness. Somewhere around the 1:30 mark, the song kicks into overdrive with a garage-sounding solo freakout which eventually fades away, so the pop elements of the song can successfully resurface. It is this eclectic combination of freakouts and pop songs that make The Wands so alluring, whilst also giving them a tinge of mystery. On first listen, it would seem you’re never quite certain as to the direction of the song and that mystery keeps the listener interested throughout.

“Get It Out Of Your System (Don’t You Wanna Feel Alright) seems to recall traces of an influence from The Doors. The hypnotic and simple groove, coupled with a trippy carnival-sounding organ reeks of The Doors in the best way possible without really becoming derivative, as The Wands add their own distinct vision to the hugely appealing and catchy chorus of the track. Topped off with a sweet sounding guitar solo, “Get It Out Of Your System” is basically everything you’d want a revivalist psych track to sound like and more – ultimately proving that The Wands have more than lived up to the hype surrounding them, whilst also showing significant signs of development from the humble beginnings of their debut EP.

”Let your hair grow long, take it day by day” sings Skibdal on “War”, emphasizing all that I have come to find alluring about this wonderful duo. Constantly on the border between hind sighted visions of pretentiousness and modern-day surrealism, Christian Skibdal and Mads Gräs balance a fine line between the unique and the derivative – constantly drawing on very obvious influences, whilst incorporating them into a sound that is increasingly unique and easy to identify with The Wands. This album marks a beginning for The Wands – one that will hopefully bring more albums like this and, even better, concert experiences that can match the quality of the songwriting displayed throughout the album. As far as album titles go, I’d wager this is pretty spot-on. It is indeed “The Dawn” of The Wands.

Download: The Dawn, War, Totem Part II, Get It Out Of Your System (Don’t You Wanna Feel Alright)
For The Fans Of: The Doors, The Black Angels, Golden Animals
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 03.11.2014
Fuzz Club Records


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