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Wheat
- Everyday I Said A Prayer For Kathy And Made A One Inch Square
(Ever)
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| Having been in existence since 1996, Massachusetts' Wheat could be reasonably described as veterans of America’s indie rock scene. But regardless of this relatively long tenure, the band have never really succeeded in breaking out of the underground, despite peddling catchy and accessible music. But all of this could change with the release of Everyday I Said A Prayer for Kathy And Made A One Inch Square, providing the record-buying public can find a suitable abbreviation for the epic album title. |
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The record screams for attention as soon as it begins, with the Spiritualised-esque organ-led ‘Closeness’ an uplifting and euphoric manifesto for the band’s intentions. And, in keeping with the religious subject matter of the lengthy title, there’s something almost spiritually uplifting about the rest of the album, despite its meandering stylistic path and varied subject content.
Scott Levesque’s vocals never surpass a laid-back drawl, but they possess a laconic effectiveness which speaks volumes in its layered repetition and delicate nuances. This deceptive simplicity is often mirrored in the instrumentation, too, with folky melodies building up slowly and with ninja-like dexterity to leave the listener unexpectedly confronted by a post rock-style symphony at the climax of many tracks.
Due to the diversity in which Wheat choose to spin their musical yarns, it’s difficult to sum up the overall impact of the album by dissecting individual tracks. After the grand, joyous opener, a myriad of styles are effectively employed from the prog leanings of ‘Init.005’ to the folk strains in ‘Move=Move’ and the beautiful ‘To, As In Addressing The Grave’, which wouldn’t sound out of place on a latter-day Sigur Rós album. But why limit yourself to one style when you can create such a varied piece of work, expertly packaged in a cohesive bundle?
So this is the point where I jump on the Wheat bandwagon, a long haul vehicle which I’m positive will be deservedly boarded by many after the release of Every Day I Said A Prayer For Kathy…. After seeing so many long-running bands that I’ve initially enjoyed gradually dilute, disperse and lose appeal, it’s both refreshing and inspiring to hear a band in their twelfth year that are still producing records with impact, bite and beauty.
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| James Haddrill - 9/10 |
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