Review Summary: We are so back!
15 years is a long time. I mean, a lot can happen in a decade and a half, right? For a lot of people, that's almost like an entire lifetime. When it was announced that WU LYF would be returning after such a long layoff, I, for one, was extremely excited. Their one and only album to this point,
Go Tell Fire to the Mountain, was instrumental for me personally. It's an extremely emotional piece of music that blends art and indie rock with a serene brand of post-rock and dream pop that spoke to me on levels that I never could've imagined as a 19 year old kid. And yes, after 15 long, grueling years, it was finally announced that they'd be returning with their sophomore album,
A Wave That Will Never Break. I was a tad nervous that it could be a letdown after such a long time and after such a monumental debut album. Well, my friends, we can put that theory to rest because WU LYF is back like they never left at all.
The album opens with ‘Love Your Fate’ and this track brings back all of the emotions of the debut in a heartbeat. It's almost math rock-esque in the way that the guitar work from Tom and Evans is presented, which is new territory for the band and an already welcome change up from the debut. Ellery's vocals, as always, soar above the instrumentation with elegance and aggressive passion. Joe's drumming, once again, is rhythmic and somewhat hectic on this particular track, tying everything together very nicely. ‘Robe of Glory’, ‘Letting Go’ and ‘The Fool’ come next and these tracks are more based on the dreamy post-rock side of things with lush soundscapes and illusory synth work as Ellery serenades the listener with his lavish voice.
The best track on the album for me is ‘Tib St. Tabernacle’. This song is just an epic in every sense of the word, clocking in at almost 11 minutes. The whole thing is very gothic and post-punk influenced, reminding me a lot of Nick Cave with the way that the vocals and instrumentation blend to create an extremely melancholic atmosphere. It's a nice switch from the more upbeat moments on the album and gives you a nice change of pace from all the vibrant sounds of the previous tracks. ‘Wave’ comes next and it's definitely the softest track on the album with humming acoustics, melodic vocals and trance-inducing piano playing. Once again, it's nice to see the variety that WU LYF has come back with this time around. The album ends with ‘At the End of the Day (It Is What It Is)’ and this track is a nice blend of indie rock and post-rock with some beautiful build-ups and climaxes that honestly leaves the listener wanting even more.
A Wave That Will Never Break is a nearly flawless comeback for WU LYF. The variation between the tracks and the pure emotion shown throughout has me asking why it took them so damn long to make another album and why they split in the first place after their classic debut, but it also proves that the band still has plenty left in the tank. Hopefully they continue to stick around and grace us with more music for years to come and this isn't just a one-off. Either way, I'm so happy that this album will bring them back into the light and fans that have been waiting for their return will be delighted by
A Wave That Will Never Break.
