WAGTAIL - NINE SONGS ALBUM REVIEW

First thing that hit me about this new Wagtail album?: how uncompromisingly fucking weird it is. Realistically it has the intensity of a man trapped in a burlap sack being savagely kicked to death by Warwick Davis dressed as a Stasi Officer. Everything this album holds comes together as what I can only describe as lo-fi Americana. Each piece of it’s nine-song runtime, complete with trumpets, trombones and mellotrons, give the album the vibe of a bastardized film soundtrack lost in time.

Mostly, Wagtail’s debut is a collage of weird and wacky ideas that paint a lonesome and frenetic picture. Anything goes with this album’s attempts to thrust you into it’s warped and tuneful soundscapes. Nothing is held back on the opening song in particular, as “Slowly The Grease Drips” plays out like a spaghetti western soundtrack from hell, complete with layers of sound that forcibly drown a distressed spoken word section in the second half. This is complemented nicely with the swaying, moody grooves of the following track: “There’s No End”. Offering a more conventional structure, the track paces the album nicely after the insanity of the opening song, however it’s gothic grooves add a darker tint to the album’s story. Numbers like these are an instantaneous example of the band’s care-free, no boundaries approach to songwriting.

These differentiating styles and influences make for an incredibly exciting listen. One moment you’ll be caught with the sludging loneliness of “Where's The Money At?” before being thrust into the frantic psychedelia of “The Sleep (I Need My)”. The album’s merit lies in its uncompromising playfulness, leading the listener to not know what to expect next.

The only problem that listeners might encounter is the album’s production and mixing. At times the amount of layers of effects, instrumentation and noise can become overbearing in the mix. From the album’s perspective however, this is a complete blessing. Relating back to the aforementioned opening track, it’s spoken-word segment sounds almost as if it is being succumbed by the ensuing walls of sound that build up. As they continue to build, the vocals become more strained and desperate until the instrumentation closes in and ensues it. It’s almost as if the song’s protagonist is being slowly but surely strangled into silence.

There aren't many local releases that sound anything quite like Wagtail’s debut. It's a weird mix of lo-fi ideas that culminate in a multi-layered trip through Americana, psychedelia and folk, through which it tells a frighteningly manic yet joyful story draped in layers of reverb and noise. Definitely worth a listen if you’re looking for something care-free and creative during these trying times. 

You can purchase the album digitally or neb yourself one of the few remaining cassette versions here:

https://wagtail.bandcamp.com/