Wye Oak – Tween [Vinyl]

The word tween implies a certain, very specific kind of awkwardness, and those implications are rarely positive. But think about it like this: Something tween is in the process of becoming something else, and theres a very specific kind of beauty in that becoming. Theres something rewarding in recognizing and celebrating itin meeting it halfway. Now, before I start spouting clichs about the journey being more important than the destinationwhich isnt true when it comes to all music except jazz, and lets leave jazz out of thislet me introduce Tween, the new not-album by Wye Oak. If were putting it simply,Tween is a collection of eight songs born, raised, and almost abandoned for various reasons during the years between 2011s breakthrough Civilian and 2014s reinvention-of-sorts, Shriek. Jenn Wasner and Andy Stackthe bands two halvesdescribed these songs as not emblematic of a step forward, but a step sideways in time. In other words, they just didnt make sense for album number fivewhich will happen at some point in the future. But just because they didnt belong there doesnt mean they dont belong anywhere. To wedge them onto Shriek wouldve been dishonest; to orphan them wouldve been somewhere on the line between criminal and just plain silly. Now that your expectations are lowered, lets build them back up, because Tween is full of gorgeous Wye Oak songs whose only crime was timing and context, made by two people at the height of their game. At first these songs sounded too disparate to me to be called an album, but the more Tween sank in, the more it made sense: One minute Jenn and Andy are embracing their floatiest Cocteau Twins instinct (If You Should See), the next theyre back in Civilian territory a bit (No Dreaming), and later theyre slinky and electronic and gorgeously 80s (On Luxury). The common thread: These are no castaways or cutouts. In fact, pound for pound, Tween might actually be more directly accessible than Shriek. It should join the pantheon of amazing not-albums of history whose names try to downplay how good they actually are, like R.E.M.s Dead Letter Office, The Whos Odds and Sods, maybe even Dinosaur Jr.s Whatevers Cool With Me. Who knows what an album is at this point, anyway? Heres what Jenn and Andy had to say: We rejoice in being free to make what we like and release it in a way that feels true, and you are free to enjoy it or dismiss it as it suits you. We hope, of course, for the former. Butall gimmicks asidewe created this thing with love and are so happy to share it with you, whoever you are. Theyre talking to you, and you should listen. Josh Modell

Tracklist:

1. Out of Nowhere
2. If You Should See
3. No Dreaming
4. Too Right
5. Better (For Esther)
6. On Luxury
7. Trigger Finger
8. Watching the Waiting

UPC: 673855056418
Label: Merge Records
Release Date: 8.5.16
Format: Vinyl