Review Summary: The Flip Side of the Coin
The idea of antithesis and music is not a new pairing. Whether it is a conceptual journey for a band or just spitting out every sound imaginable and seeing what sticks, bands often find themselves inverting its sound to create something almost unrecognizable from its earlier work. What an easier way to distinguish this transition than to name your EPs the “White EP” and the “Black EP”.
The band New Wives released its first eponymous EP back in May 2013. Often called by its nickname, “White EP”, the name is more than mere happenstance. The songs on “White EP” are full of affectionate lyrics describing times of happiness and longing for them to last while featuring upbeat shakers and guitar chords such as the ones found in “Lucy (Song about her).” A few moments on the EP, however, seem tonally inconsistent. How is the aforementioned love song to a former girlfriend found on the same record as a song titled “Maggots” or the punk influenced “Purge Surfing”? These fluxes in thematics, instrumentals and vocal delivery later manifested themselves into the contrast of white. In March 2014, while still self-titled, the aptly dubbed “Black EP” was released from the same lineup of band members, but this is not the same band. New Wives took those darker moments peeking through the cracks of “White EP”, added piles of sludge to the mix and created a great doom pop record.
Matt Anderegg (drums), Zach Gastley (bass guitar), and Drew Kirby (vocals/electric guitar) have all reinvented their styles. The distorted, down-tuned electric guitar helps add to the doom and chaos laid down by the powerful percussion. Meanwhile, the true standout, Gastley, lays down memorable, droning bass lines while peppering in exciting chops and licks when elements gets crazier. The vocals are a bit of a mixed bag though, as Kirby’s crooning style (which slightly sounds like Bayside vocalist Anthony Raneri) has plenty of charm to it, but he never focuses on the softer side of his voice on this EP. The harsher timbre of his voice fits the songs well, but it can get monotonous at moments with “19” being the best example. The best moments on the EP are usually when the band cuts loose and jams away. The ending half of “New Eyes//First March” is definitely the best moment of New Wives career, with commanding lead and bass guitar riffs with multiple time changes between 4/4, 6/8 and 2/4 interspersed within.
The true antithesis of its career, “Black EP” shows the direction the band needs to pursue. No matter whether its next recorded material turns out to be the “Gray EP”—“Chartreuse EP” perhaps, I hope the band sticks with this doom pop style and keep things black. Like the underside of a penny that has seen years of muck and rust, sometimes things don’t have to be shiny, polished and clean to be worthwhile.
http://newwives.bandcamp.com/album/new-wives-ep-black
https://www.facebook.com/newwives
