Wye Oak's brand of earnest, melancholy indie rock is a definitely throwback to a simpler time. In 2010 a band that doesn’t use samplers or excessive reverb, steal from the '70s, or incorporate hippie folk into its sound is an anomaly. Over two fine albums, the Baltimore duo has crafted a sound that calls to mind bands like
Scrawl and early
Yo La Tengo, who blended layers of guitars and artless vocals into a quiet yet emotionally forceful listening experience. On the
My Neighbor/My Creator EP,
Wye Oak inject some energy into their songs, boosting the tempos and noise levels (which had dipped on their second album) and allowing vocalist Jenn Wasner a chance to let loose a little. Her singing on the rollicking "Emmylou" is her most powerful to date. The midtempo "My Creator" is most akin to their previous work, though the horns and sound manipulations point to a new sense of adventure that could result in an interesting third album. Indeed, the whole EP seems to promise advancements in arrangements and the songs are among the best they’ve written to date. Though it may be a stopgap between albums,
My Neighbor/My Creator is an important piece of the puzzle that fans of
Wye Oak shouldn’t take a pass on. ~ Tim Sendra