Rockfreaks.net

The Wands

Faces EP

Written by: BV on 20/10/2016 16:46:18

It’s been just about three years since I first got acquainted with The Wands and their take on modern psychedelia via their debut EP ”Hello I Know The Blow You Grow Is Magic”. At the time I found them promising, but not quite there yet in terms of consistency. The following year, The Wands released “The Dawn”, their debut full-length and I immediately proclaimed that The Wands were just getting started. Now they’re finally back with a new EP under their belt, an EP titled “Faces”.

As the EP opens with the audio-collage “Living the Dream” it is immediately apparent that The Wands have taken things further – at least in terms of ambition. Gone is the narrow focus on 60’s psychedelia in favor of a warm embrace of everything 70’s. There’s a bit of progressive rock with towering walls of synth sounds, there’s a bit of glam in the whole aesthetic but most of all it is still psychedelic. Just in a more mature manner. It’s diverse, as title-track “Faces” will let you know. The characteristic vocals of Christian Skibdal lure you into the sprawling psychedelic soundscape and the groovy vibes from the guitar as well as the general rhythm section will prolong your stay indefinitely. There’s a certain swagger to the track which is only amplified by the severely Hendrix-esque guitarsolo emanating from the hands of Mads Gräs. Man, I really did miss The Wands as it turns out. This tickles in all the right places.

“Cosmic Sinners” has a slight resemblance with kraut-rock due to its repetitive and persistent riff and the way the general delivery of everything from vocals, over bass to blistering guitar-parts unfold. It is entirely enthralling in a way, but at times I’m fairly content with the fact that the track has a duration of mere three and a half minutes – any longer than that would be dragging things out – no matter how many cool sounds and fiery guitar solos you pack onto it. “Out of Fever” slows things down with a simple, hypnotic bass line. It takes a full minute for things to really get going, but what we then get is a genuinely pleasant drone with some real edge to it before we get tossed right into the kaleidoscopic mix once more with “Between Heavens”.

Surely, The Wands have progressed from “The Dawn”. However, I am not entirely certain this EP will do them justice in the way they frankly deserve. I find the use of both an introductory audio-collage and an outro to be superfluous on a six-track EP, where more time could have been spent on their otherwise superb album. If it were up to me, I’d save the interludes, intros and outros for full-length albums. Regardless, The Wands are back and in top shape.

Download: Faces, Between Heavens
For The Fans Of: The Doors, The Black Angels, Holy Wave
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 05.09.2016
Flammekaster Records