wheat: listening so close: a brief history, and per second... reviews by alan haber. buhdge

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listening so close: a brief history of wheat Aware/Columbia (2004) per second, per second, per second... every second Wheat Aware/Columbia (2003) Major labels snapping up indie bands can provoke obstinance in fans and indie bands that don't get picked up by major labels. Film at 11: "That major label's just going to chew them up and spit them out!" "They'll get screwed!" "The label will promise them everything and give them nothing!" "Their music will get corrupted! They'll be writing songs to fit formats!" "They'll never get the attention they got on that itty-bitty label!" "They'll get famous, and they won't remember us..." Sad, but too often true. After years and years of observing the music scene and writing reviews, I still don't understand why...even though it seems to happen often enough. I know there are musicians who would rather play in a smoky club for the door than play Madison Square Garden as a opening act and be ignored by the audience that is really waiting for the headliner. I dunno...me, I'd rather take my chances at the Garden, although I'd want to be able to come back to the smoky club, too. In other words, I'd rather have my cake and eat it, too. In more other words, I'd rather take my chances and hope for success on a big-time level and maybe get my music out to more people. Success means different things to different people, but I keep thinking that great art that sits in a drawer (or doesn't get heard by a whole lot of people) doesn't do anyone any favors. I don't know what the buzz is about Wheat's signing by Aware/Columbia--I'm guessing some fans see the move as a defection of sorts--but what I do know is that the band has taken a major leap in its approach to its sound, in the quality of its songs, in general focus. I know that with per second, Wheat has made a high quality, radio-friendly album that more people will ever hear than heard their two independent records, which were pretty good to begin with. But, comparing the records, you can hear the progression of the band's abilities. In fact, a listen to the sampler that Aware/Columbia prepared to promote the band's latest album shows this in spades: the overall spare atmosphere and slightly tentative, alternative-sounding lead vocals by Scott Levesque on "Death Car" and "Leslie West," from 1997's Medeiros, give way to more of a sense of urgency in the playing and vocals on "Don't I Hold You" and "Body Talk (Part 1)," from 1999's Hope and Adams. "Closer to Mercury (Naked Version)," from Nude, which was never released, practically bristles with the sound that differentiates per second from its predecessors: better playing, (again) more urgency, even better songwriting (mind you, the band was pretty good to begin with), and a more precise, clever vocal approach, especially in the backgrounds. The final track on listening so close is the crackerjack "I Met a Girl," which kicks off per second. With this song, Wheat takes off into the stratosphere, with nary a morsel of indie-itis left in its DNA. I found myself singing along with the chorus right away; the damned thing really got under my skin. Credit the band and producers Dave Fridmann, who has also worked with the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, and John Fields for what listening so close's liner notes calls "...a giant leap into Technicolor." This is the leap that Wheat has made with per second, and it is a leap to be greatly impressed with. Levesque's vocals, and the band's songs, are eerily reminiscent of Deacon Blue. Levesque even sounds very much like Deacon Blue's singer/songwriter Ricky Ross, evoking the same hopefulness and yearning and honesty, sometimes in the same song. The bands even seem to share the same committed approach. Which is a good thing. per second's overall sound is bright and accessible, and the songs are terrific, from the driving "These are Things," which builds nicely throughout, to "Go Get the Cops," a clever, orchestrated number that features a harmony vocal line that somewhat mirrors the Everly Brothers, and the piano-driven, rocky (fuzz guitar and all), "Can't Wash it Off." Perhaps most impressive is the hopeful "The Beginner," with is close-miked vocals and perceptive lyrics, such as "Tempted when I get tempted to lie, I'm a responsible neophyte, I like a journey all right, And everyone gets what they want." Really perceptive and wonderful writing, which basically describes all of the songs on the album. With per second, Wheat has made the leap, but what that leap constitutes is anybody's guess, I guess, until their next album comes along and (hopefully), once again, knocks it out of the park. I have no doubt that this will be the case. And, when this happens, if there are any naysayers out there, playing the indie defection rag, well, film at 11 for you lot. Alan Haber buhdge September 12, 2004
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listening so close: a brief history of wheat
Aware/Columbia (2004)

per second, per second, per second... every second
Wheat
Aware/Columbia (2003)

Major labels snapping up indie bands can provoke obstinance in fans and indie bands that don't get picked up by major labels. Film at 11: "That major label's just going to chew them up and spit them out!" "They'll get screwed!" "The label will promise them everything and give them nothing!" "Their music will get corrupted! They'll be writing songs to fit formats!" "They'll never get the attention they got on that itty-bitty label!" "They'll get famous, and they won't remember us..."

Sad, but too often true. After years and years of observing the music scene and writing reviews, I still don't understand why...even though it seems to happen often enough. I know there are musicians who would rather play in a smoky club for the door than play Madison Square Garden as a opening act and be ignored by the audience that is really waiting for the headliner. I dunno...me, I'd rather take my chances at the Garden, although I'd want to be able to come back to the smoky club, too.

In other words, I'd rather have my cake and eat it, too. In more other words, I'd rather take my chances and hope for success on a big-time level and maybe get my music out to more people. Success means different things to different people, but I keep thinking that great art that sits in a drawer (or doesn't get heard by a whole lot of people) doesn't do anyone any favors.

I don't know what the buzz is about Wheat's signing by Aware/Columbia--I'm guessing some fans see the move as a defection of sorts--but what I do know is that the band has taken a major leap in its approach to its sound, in the quality of its songs, in general focus. I know that with per second, Wheat has made a high quality, radio-friendly album that more people will ever hear than heard their two independent records, which were pretty good to begin with.

But, comparing the records, you can hear the progression of the band's abilities. In fact, a listen to the sampler that Aware/Columbia prepared to promote the band's latest album shows this in spades: the overall spare atmosphere and slightly tentative, alternative-sounding lead vocals by Scott Levesque on "Death Car" and "Leslie West," from 1997's Medeiros, give way to more of a sense of urgency in the playing and vocals on "Don't I Hold You" and "Body Talk (Part 1)," from 1999's Hope and Adams. "Closer to Mercury (Naked Version)," from Nude, which was never released, practically bristles with the sound that differentiates per second from its predecessors: better playing, (again) more urgency, even better songwriting (mind you, the band was pretty good to begin with), and a more precise, clever vocal approach, especially in the backgrounds.

The final track on listening so close is the crackerjack "I Met a Girl," which kicks off per second. With this song, Wheat takes off into the stratosphere, with nary a morsel of indie-itis left in its DNA. I found myself singing along with the chorus right away; the damned thing really got under my skin. Credit the band and producers Dave Fridmann, who has also worked with the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, and John Fields for what listening so close's liner notes calls "...a giant leap into Technicolor." This is the leap that Wheat has made with per second, and it is a leap to be greatly impressed with.

Levesque's vocals, and the band's songs, are eerily reminiscent of Deacon Blue. Levesque even sounds very much like Deacon Blue's singer/songwriter Ricky Ross, evoking the same hopefulness and yearning and honesty, sometimes in the same song. The bands even seem to share the same committed approach. Which is a good thing.

per second's overall sound is bright and accessible, and the songs are terrific, from the driving "These are Things," which builds nicely throughout, to "Go Get the Cops," a clever, orchestrated number that features a harmony vocal line that somewhat mirrors the Everly Brothers, and the piano-driven, rocky (fuzz guitar and all), "Can't Wash it Off." Perhaps most impressive is the hopeful "The Beginner," with is close-miked vocals and perceptive lyrics, such as "Tempted when I get tempted to lie, I'm a responsible neophyte, I like a journey all right, And everyone gets what they want." Really perceptive and wonderful writing, which basically describes all of the songs on the album.

With per second, Wheat has made the leap, but what that leap constitutes is anybody's guess, I guess, until their next album comes along and (hopefully), once again, knocks it out of the park. I have no doubt that this will be the case. And, when this happens, if there are any naysayers out there, playing the indie defection rag, well, film at 11 for you lot.

Alan Haber
buhdge
September 12, 2004