With a superior strength for bristled sonic homage, as well as the best of great rock ‘n’ roll intentions, superWAV score a musical three pointer in a league only slightly below heroes PJ Harvey and pre-game Jack White. In short, pause the review and give their album aTYPICAL a listen. I have time don’t worry.
Here is the album opener The Lover, my personal favorite track here.
“We wanted the songs to be straightforward, direct and in your face. Basically: Let’s take out everything that the song does not need. Reduce it to pure guts! Yet the theme of archetypes is a complex one, and its exploration is adding a thoughtful layer to the music” – member Anne Wichmann
Volker Wichmann brings some singeing riffs with his sibling Anne squeaking and squealing her vocal cords all the way to the bank. The comparison to those two rock giants I mentioned earlier is palpable, and yet, their sound is their own. Authentic and untampered. Not even a shotty riff off or blatant rip off, PJ Harvey’s influence is there proudly in Anne’s sleeve, and this entire project stays as thunderous, tumultuous, and poetic with each of its five songs as The Lover.
This duo is a blast from the past, far beyond their mind field of predetermined emotions, false promises from former friends, and trying to stay with their eyes towards the sky above (though they often feel low, old, and as damaged as the ants below their feet). I should note that even without the blood relation, these two would probably have fire chemistry simply due to the fact they are wicked talented in both their respective creative mindsets. They get that you’re supposed to have fun making music… and you can hear the good times abundantly clear throughout this quick album.
“It’s so much fun to work together again, and exciting to find new ways of collaborating across such a long distance. For ATYPICAL it feels like we picked up where RAWJAW (the Wichmanns’ earlier band in the early 00s) ended – yet finding our own sound of today in every tune” – member Volker Wichmann
All five of these songs are as well edited as they are inspired from pain, pleasures, and secrets of a former life. Anne is not even close to done, she is hungry for more by the end of aTYPICAL, and Volker has enough of a mind to stay silent and let his distorted bends do the talking for him. I say good for him. This will give them even more time to develop their sound and move forward as the newly appointed titans of toned triumphant blue suede boogie.
Give these two talented bastards a listen before Third Man Records recruits them for a one decade deal. Let’s hope they keep making music… superWAV are onto something other artists kill for.
