Wednesday Albums

2023

Rat Waw God - 66%

An intriguing album full of in jokes and obscure references, with allusions to teenage age years wasted on drugs and alcohol that permeate the lyrics. The music reeks of southern rock touch stones (Drive-By Truckers in “Chosen to deserve”) and punky and catchy Cheap Trick / Pixies references in “Got Shocked” or the opener. “Bath Country” is a dead ringer for mid -90s Cat Power. Singer Karly Hartzman channels a lot of that same grungy and indie rock sound from the late 90s and early 2000s, and when it is paired with catchy songs the album really flies. When it doesn’t like on the songs I don’t mention…it fails. It’s possible this is a band that hasn’t found their sound yet (even though this is their 4th or 5th album), as each song tackles a somewhat different genre, but you can’t fault them for being ambitious. They even try a dynamic eight and a half minute track with “Bull Believer“ that sometimes literally is full of silence like the group doesn’t know where it will go next. In my opinion, when the band stays quitter and more in control, that is when they shine.

They should expand in the future on the good ideas in "Quarry" and "Tv in the Gas Pump"