At a certain point in "Reaper Invert" I could feel my head nodding as if I was a bitter hippie at a Sabbath concert in 1971. The song, like most of the cuts on Golem, out as of yesterday on In The Red, is a blast of energy dressed in stoner rock garb. Trippy, inventive, and fun, the music of Wand is something entirely out there.
While one might be tempted to reference Ty Segall here due to a few stylistic similarities, Wand's music is somehow looser and more expansive than Segall's stuff. Take the soaring "Climbing Rope" for instance which seems to bridge acid rock from the Altamont era with shoegaze from only a few decades ago. It's a mind-blower.
Wand -- Cory Hanson (vocals, guitar, synth), Evan Burrows (drums), Daniel Martens (guitar), and Lee Landey (bass) -- make tunes that are big, beautiful, and still scuzzy. "Cave In" alternates between a near-early Soundgarden riff and downright lovely vocals from Hanson.
"Floating Head" takes the sort of riff-rocker thing that Ty Segall does so well and turns up the amps a bit and sets off for the heart of the sun. What's remarkable here on so many tracks on Golem is how Wand never lose the plot. There's not a lot wasted here. The tracks are fast, punchy, and concise bits of fuzzy-wuzzy rock.
"Planet Golem" throbs with early Sabbath abandon, while "The Drift" slows things down and ends the record way, way out there.
Golem by Wand, out now on In The Red, is a blast. A head banger and mind expander, the album struts and rawks with the sort of energy most music these days is sadly lacking. I dug it. A lot. I urge you to get on board with Wand as soon as possible.
Find out more details on Wand on the band's official website.