Pages

Saturday, June 10, 2023

The Wans and the heavy artful rock / killer croon of "Enough of Your Love" (Official Music Visualizer)

 





"stars that turn blue cuz they can't have you / like I can / I just can't get enough..."


Who said romance is dead, I mean for some of us it could be in a temporary coma. I mean the state of the world, the stress of bad news, of radical right forces taking our freedoms away, the economy possibly going south, out of control inflation and a lack of civility in general can drip feed into our personal lives and our collective art. From crime porn to a shit-ton of reality shows featuring true assholes, one wonders if it is a reflection of who we are now or the other way around. I digress. 

Feeling the artful, dreamy and, yes, romance wave of "Enough of Your Love" by Nashville's The Wans is utterly cool and refreshing. In some ways, despite how fresh it is, it feels like a throwback. Back to when rock and "indie rock" was not afraid to not only be cool and artful but dreamy and, again, romantic. Not only are the rock shapes sinewy, yet graceful, lead singer Simon Kerr has a gorgeous croon and temperamentally I thought of the sultry / cool of iconic 80's rock / pop singers like John Waite, Paul Young, Ben Orr. 

This is simply a track review so my thoughts are based just on this song and since Classic Rock Magazine has described The Wans' sounds as “like The Stooges having a baby with Stone Temple Pilots” I realize this track might be on their lighter side. Anyway, that is a great description so I look forward to hearing their fourth LP "Magical Touch" dropping on July 26, 2023, exactly 11 years to the date of their first release. Wow. 

-Robb Donker Curtius
  








THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 


http://www.thewansmusic.com/

http://instagram.com/thewans

https://twitter.com/TheWansOfficial

https://www.facebook.com/thewansmusic


Some folks thought The Wans were dead in the water. I like to think we were in hibernation,” says lead singer Simon Kerr of the Nashville based rock band, The Wans. Described as sounding “like The Stooges having a baby with Stone Temple Pilots” by Classic Rock Magazine, the group are welcoming their highly-anticipated fourth LP Magical Touch, which includes 11 songs that showcase a refreshing new approach that is sure to perk up your ears. Magical Touch will be released on July 26, 2023, which is exactly 11 years to the date of their first release.

The Wans’ new eleven-song LP was co-produced, recorded and mixed by Michael Fahey at Starbird Sound in Nashville using vintage recording equipment and recorded live with minimal overdubs. With two new additions to the band, Akshay Narang and Noah Denney, it was sure to add to the expansion of the sonic qualities. Noah Denney, formerly of Tyler Bryant and The Shakedown and who originally played bass in The Wans, now sits behind the drums. “The new sound is so exciting for me. We’ve known Akshay for over a decade and bonded over everything from Nine Inch Nails to Depeche Mode so it was only natural to ask him to play some synth and guitar with the band.”, says Kerr.


The hard-touring Wans have been on the rise for a while now, playing major festivals like Austin City Limits, Voodoo Fest, Forecastle and Hangout Fest, and sharing bills with Pearl Jam, Beck, and Queens of the Stone Age. They recorded their 2014 album He Said She Said, with Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Rival Sons), the acclaimed record landed them press at USA Today, NME, Consequence of Sound, The AV Club, and more. Not only that, the band's music has been featured everywhere from major motion picture Point Break and TV shows like Nashville, Longmire, andNecessary Roughness to a powerhouse commercial for BMW'S 4 Series Gran Coupe,which was soundtracked by the band's muscular riff rocker "Black Pony."


“This record feels like my novella, a journey similar to Steinbecks ‘East of Eden’. It took 4 years to write and a week to record.” says Kerr. There’s no doubt that The Wans wore their influences proudly on their sleeves, like Queens of the Stone Age and Nirvana, but this record feels more precise and like nothing we’ve heard before from the band. There are certainly hints of 80’s and 90’s Brit-Pop influences, but the songwriting has become more focused and that’s not an overthought.” Kerr continues, “My dad, Tony Kerr, has been my main songwriting partner since I was 16. Some Father-Son’s bond over fishing, but we bond over writing songs. It’s become effortless when we write together.”

Bassist Thomas Bragg states, “Simon and I have been so excited with what’s going on in the Irish/British music scene in the last few years. Bands like Idles and Fontaines D.C have made some of the best records of the last decade and I think that definitely had an effect on our music and this record.”

The Wans’ have always shared a brotherhood and love for making rock n’ roll, which is much needed in today’s overall climate and music scene. Lyrically, this record purposefully radiates self-awareness, love, and togetherness. “The Wans’ are everything to me. When it comes to the song’s they’re all we have.” says Kerr. The great Joe Strummer once said, “People have got to stop pretending they're not in the world. It's time to take that humanity back into the center of the ring and follow that for a time. Think on that. Without people you're nothing.”

2023 is set to be an exciting year for The Wans, so keep your eyes peeled for exciting announcements leading up to Magical Touch next summer.





The Wans, indie rock, 70's rock, romance, dreamy, sultry croon, emotional narratives, classic rock, 80's rock, "Enough of Your Love", new album "Magical Touch",



No comments:

Post a Comment