This album sounds like a tape somebody would've shoved into your hand at a sweaty '80s hardcore punk show. It has that flat, poorly mixed production of early Crucified or Crashdog, kind of annoying in today's climate of perfect sonics but providing a sort of rough underground authenticity just the same. The distortion seems constantly on the verge of disintegrating, yet is somehow held together by the loose songs.
And what kind of songs do we have here? Cowpunk, baby. Punk rock for wandering the range under a starlit sky. Actually, it's more like the garage music of the '60s - that sort of primitive punk/oldies rock 'n roll that Rhino dusts off to put on compilations. The Wednesdays stray from the punk formula in that they actually sing--sort of a mournful rockabilly style--and they aren't afraid to let silence in their songs, with nothing but quiet bass and a scratchy guitar lick piercing the quiet every few seconds. There's far more melody and atmospheric moodiness here than by any punk band I've ever heard. Unlisted tracks 11 and 12 are welcome surprises - acoustic versions of the two catchiest, most melodic songs.
The lyrics are predictably about heartbreak, alcoholic dads, and loneliness. There's one about the confusion over what's true and a lie, but no obvious spiritual thoughts pop up on the album. Except for the title track's lyrics, which are printed in the booklet despite the complete absence of the song on the disc! You get to read them anyway:
"Above is the red star of war. It hangs in everyone's sky. Some of us can see it better than others, some of it consumes, to some, it is a complete denial - it theoretically doesn't exist. Ahhh, O.K., I see. Your star is invisible. Your star is ultra-violet. But it is there, oh yes, it is. We wrestle not against flesh and blood," and it is midnight in time of war."
If you're looking for something old but fresh in the inbred punk scene today, pack The Wednesdays in your saddlebag the next time you ride out.
3 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Bandoppler 1999Reviewed by Treble BandopplerThis is a tough one. First of all, I can not resort to the reviewer's standby of just labeling this in the cute way that we tend to label things (ie: rap-core, old school skate rock, etc...), and I am hard pressed to place it in any genre. That is probably what attracted Jackson Rubio to this band, seeing as how they are so intent on producing original music. And so, in the same spirit that has…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by ConradThis rockabilly band is heavy on the rock. Gritty vocals and rock guitars. For the most part I enjoyed it. There were some good songs on here, and the songs that weren't so good weren't all that bad either. There was enough variety in songwriting so as to make the listen fairly enjoyable. The production could have been WAY better - but it's passable. If you're into rockabilly, at least take a…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by Tom BastianThe Wednesdays could best be described as white trash punk rock, with a rockabilly flare. I hope that doesn't offend anyone, but it just really seemed like the best way to describe it. I guess it would also kind of fall into the psychobilly category. The production on this CD isn't the best, and overall the musicianship kind of sounds sloppy, but I guess that's the point with this style of music.…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by Matt ASome pretty standard pop/punk here, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I like it when it's well done, and these guys do it well. My initial comparison was to "Bark Like a Dog" era Screeching Weasel. The catchy pop/punk stuff that gets stuck in your head. If you like the aforementioned Screeching Weasel or good, catchy pop/punk I think you'd enjoy the Wednesdays. B+The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Alex KlagesThe music on this album is throwaway music. By that I don't mean that the CD is destined for the wastebasket, but that it's played in a punkish, free-for-all manner that is at once technical yet loose, stylish yet free of stylistic considerations. More importantly, it's a lot of fun. These 3 brothers, "The Duke" on bass, "The Threat" on drums, and "Fang" on guitar, play their Southern-fried punk…Similar sounding releases
2004NirvanaWith the Lights Out
1998Aunt BettysFord Supersonic
2000The White OctaveStyle No. 6312
2000Fake BrainDepartment of Our Ways
2005Complicated ShirtStrigine
2003Guitar WolfUFO Romantics
