Wand have certainly not been getting enough attention over the last few years. The band have released a string of interesting, challenging records that straddle the sort of new psychedelic that Ty Segall is perfecting on a seemingly daily basis, as well as the more traditional breed of chamber pop that front-man Cory Hanson pursued on his superb solo album nearly 2 years ago. The L.A. collective's newest record, Perfume, out Friday on Drag City, is perhaps their most seamless yet.
If obvious single "Pure Romance" sees Hanson offer up the sort of lush lyricism he's known for, even as the chorus charges, Segall-like, towards the heavens, many other tracks here seem intent on breaking the mold of what this group's achieved previously. Elsewhere, the more complex "The Gift" made me think of old Flaming Lips, or Super Furry Animals, numbers, the rhythmic track an insinuating offering here on Perfurme, even as the title cut serves up an epic-length, percussive attack. The rough "Town Meeting" is countered by the gentle "I Will Keep You Up", all Bolan-isms churning with a dash of VU.
Wand make music that really stands so far apart from what other contemporaries are crafting in today's indie environment, even as one can, clearly, hear a hint of Ty Segall about things here on Perfume. Still, don't let that be seen as a knock on Hanson's skills as he is truly one of the real visionaries in rock today.
Perfume by Wand will be out on Friday via Drag City. More details on Wand via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: Abby Banks]