aaamusic | On 31, Jan 2011

After a packed out show supporting Jonny last month, Wye Oak have been confirmed to support Cold War Kids on their European tour in late February. They have also confirmed a small headline show case gig at London’s Water Rats on Feb 22^nd ahead of their album release on March 7, 2011, (March 4 in Germany and Austria) through City Slang. Civilian will be available on CD, LP and digital download.

On signing Wye Oak, City Slang said “This band has been on and off our radar for quite a bit now. Their last releases did resonate around this here office somewhat, but nothing prepared us for the sheer musical brilliance, the quantum leap that the duo of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack would offer up with this new album of theirs. They have really come out of their shell on Civilian.”

The album’s title track (one of the most blogged tracks during the week it was released online according to hypemachine) is up for free download here:  http://bit.ly/eBBtrvI

Wye Oak wrote what became Civilian between December of 2009 and July of 2010.  The songs “are, as a whole, about aloneness (the positive kind), loneliness (the horrible kind), moving on, and letting go (of people, places, and things),” lyricist/guitarist Jenn Wasner reveals.

After recording and mixing the previous two albums themselves, Wye Oak brought in mixing engineer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Shearwater), who played a pivotal role in the sound of Civilian. “JC definitely pushed us into some exciting and sometimes scary new territory,” multi-instrumentalist Andy Stack says. “It was the most that Jenn and I had ever relinquished control of our music to someone else, but it gave us a chance to step back and see the big picture, whereas on previous recordings we got embroiled in the technical details.”

Civilian is a kind of 21st-century folk music, imbued with dense shoegaze guitars, nearly melodic rhythms, and impeccable splashes of electronic colour. Without leaning on conventional structure, the songs beguile with fascinating chords and melodies, Jenn’s voice and riveting lyrics, mesmerizing rhythms, and an intoxicating aural landscape. Just as good writing has meaning between the lines, Civilian has meaning between the sounds: the combinations of harmonies, timbres, and words summon vivid and ineffable associations just beyond reach.

Jenn sums up the meaning of the album saying, “this collection of songs is called Civilian because I believe everyone wants to be normal, but no one truly is.”

Wye Oak play the following shows in February:

09 Köln Germany Luxor (w/Cold War Kids)
10 Hamburg Germany, Uebel & Gefährlich (w/Cold War Kids)
11 Berlin Germany Lido (w/Cold War Kids)
13 Zürich Switzerland, Abart (w/Cold War Kids)
16 Amsterdam Netherlands, Melkweg (w/Cold War Kids)
17 Brussels Belgium Ancienne Belgique (w/Cold War Kids)
18 Saint Malo France L’OMNIBUS (w/Cold War Kids)
20 Manchester UK Manchester Academy (w/Cold War Kids)
21 Glasgow UK The Garage (w/Cold War Kids)
22 London UK Monto Water Rats (w/Cold War Kids)
23 London UK Koko (w/Cold War Kids)