Description
Ten years after its release, Wye OaksCivilianremains a raw, sinewy punch of a recordbleak and intense and lonely and self-assured all at once. The album unravels with the sort of self-questioning and uncertainty that come with youth. WhenAndy Stack(Joyero, Lambchop) andJenn Wasner(Flock of Dimes) releasedCivilian, it marked both the ascension and death of Wye Oak, or at least a version of it. Now, a decade later, this deluxe edition delves back in.
Civilianwas beloved upon release, complete with late-night TV appearances, sold-out concerts, and glowing reviews; it was theA.V. Clubs favorite album of 2011. With that acclaim came inevitable burnout, thanks in part to Wye Oaks workhorse mentality, the 200+ shows they performed on the back of the albums release, and a persistently misogynistic narrative about Wasners guitar skills. But rather than recoil, the band decided to rethink:Civilianset the duo on a decade-long course of innovation. Devoting nearly 2,000 words to its 10th anniversary earlier this year,StereogumdescribedCivilianas an album of hellos and goodbyes at the same time, introducing us to everything Wye Oak could be, before setting the stage for the other Wye Oaks wed soon get to know, and the all the others weve still yet to meet.
Cut All the Wires: 20092011, a 12-song collection of rare and unreleased tracks and demos culled from the Wye Oak archives, is an extension of the bruised and achingCivilian. Sonic paradoxes abound: the mellow Sinking Ship is preceded by the wall-of-sound grunginess that roars through Half a Double Man. A pared-down acoustic Daytrotter live session of Two Small Deaths dovetails into the jangling Holy Holy demo. The closing lyrics over the frenetic, screeching feedback of Electricity lend the anniversary release its title: Theres nothing about you that I dont adore / Show me these rooms / and Ill show you the way to the door / Walk me through / Ill cut all the wires and spend my life with you.
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