Album Review: Wye Oak Tells Life “The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs”

Wye Oak’s The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs is a riveting, sonic masterpiece into every moment you felt like you were chasing life, and she was a really good runner. It has a bursting elasticity to its soundscapes; like a sneaker molding to every terrain it hits to protect the foot that moves it. A weird image but one that alludes to how we move through situations to protect our soul from suffering only to find that that is impossible. 

Tracks like, “Lifer”, “Say Hello”, and “Symmetry” bounce with momentous baselines and chords that string together human perseverance. There is nothing more tragically beautiful than seeing the resilience of a person confronting their fear; they will suffer but they will strengthen, all at once.The degrees to this situation range, but the heartache and built strength to this experience is universal and found in Jenn Wasner’s voice.

When I heard “My SIgnal” and “It Was Not Natural”, I felt raptured by Wasner’s vocality. I literally thought clouds were parting in Heaven, angels were trumpeting in welcome, and a few fireballs came down from the sky but luckily landed in the ocean. The point is she has a final command to her voice that makes every note she hits dig into the ground of your soul like a flag-pole with a white flag of “Surrender!”. The feeling is good for two-points; it makes you surrender to both their music and their message. Sometimes, it is not about surrendering in a fight, but surrendering to the fight.

“Over and Over”, “You of All People”, and “ I Know It’s Real” lyrically display that you should not give up fighting for yourself because life will never stop challenging you. It is hard to accept that joy, love, and turning dreams into successful realities is an endless fight. Yet, Wasner’s voice is like electricity turning on the factory of this fact. With a sonic backdrop, that dabs between electro- dance pop and acoustic vibrations, The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs make life feel like a marathon that has no winner or losers; just participants and onlookers. To Buy Wye Oak’s The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs On April 6 Click Here.