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The Wails: Vocals and vocal treatments, Tambourine - Caroline Edelen Guitar, tunings - Tom Hagen Bass - Craig Trombino Drums, Tabla - Nick Smith Here are some thoughts from the press: Playback STL www.playbackstl.com Written by Kevin Renick Saturday, 31 December 2005 Sometimes CDs just show up out of the blue, with no fanfare or advance publicity, and turn out to be nice surprises. The Wails are a Brooklyn quartet led by vocalist Caroline Edelen; remaining band members Tom Hagen (a former St. Louisan), Nick Smith, and Craig Trombino build an awesome wall of sound for Edelen to, well, wail over, which she does exceedingly well. This group is heavily into atmosphere and dark, spooky, churning guitar soundsâ€"but what’s different about them from other bands that traffic in a similar style is the amazing purposefulness in their compositions, and they clearly like utilizing a wider than usual creative palette within their chosen genre. The Wails clearly know that melody and mood are the most important things to the listener, rather than any particular musician’s instrumental prowess. But they manage to surprise throughout the course of this platter. "This Is All a Lie" begins like a very pleasant indie rock tune with female vocals; texturally interesting guitars and Edelen’s primal moaning near the end alert you that you’re not listening to any formulaic band here. "Dos" ups the creative ante with hypnotic percussion and a thoroughly engaging vocal that blends a bit of Pat Benatar and Siouxsie Sioux with some Sonic Youthâ€"like moments. The balance between Edelen’s powerful voice and the moody instrumentation is dead on, making you sit up and take notice for virtually every tune. "Highway Pirates" is downright gripping, with echoey whispers and ghostly percussion signaling a fascinating track that builds and sustains its mood for over five minutes, firmly establishing Edelen as a truly intriguing new vocalist. And on "Intermission," we unexpectedly get some Indian drumming, mind-twisting ambient sounds, and snatches of primal wailingâ€"freaky, man! "Doctors and Cigarettes" is a swift about-face, a relatively "normal" tune with a pleasant lead vocal; similarly, "Crab & a Fish" is downright pretty, with "How can I explain/that you are the only one" being one of the few lyrical phrases easy to key in on. Another surprise comes with the charming male-female vocal duet on "Valentine," with Edelen’s sweetly feminine turn here barely recognizable as the singer who seems possessed elsewhere. Via is a solid listen throughout, shifting through various moods in a startling, yet never abrasive manner. There’s a keen intelligence at work in this band, and a sense that they think more deeply and maybe even care more than many other musical newbies. The Wails are truly one of the nicest surprises to come along in many months. The Aquarian Weekly December 14 - December 21, 2005 Vol. 2-325 www.theaquarian.com A blueprint of Sonic Youth without most of that pesky noise, Via is an intriguing low-fi affair from do-it-yourselfer’s The Wails. Vocalist Caroline Edelen is reminiscent of a slightly deeper Kim Gordon, though her lyricism is far more linear. Still, the vaguely tortured school girl appeal is omnipresent. But even more impressive is the rather inspired arrangements, moving to unusual but satisfying places in a true to-the-term alternative rock style. Dipping into haunting atmospherics on cuts like "highway Pirates"’ while maintaining a certain pop sensibility with opener "This Is All A Lie," The Wails’ collective has a definite vision. While the influence of the New York innovators is obvious, it’s not ripping anything off and it’s easy to give the benefit of the doubt due to their unsigned, underground aesthetic. Pretty solid, all around. In A Word: Unexpected Grade: A -by Patrick Slevin Check out the artist's website: http://thewails.com Track List: 1. This Is All A Lie 2. Dos 3. Schadenfreude 4. Highway Pirates 5. Will You Stay 6. Intermission 7. Doctors & Cigarettes 8. Crab & a Fish 9. Alone Together 10. Valentine 11. Undone Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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