Record Review: The Wright Brothers - You, Me, and the Universe

The Wright Brothers
You, Me, and the Universe
Label: Lightworks Records
For fans of: Muse, U2, Coldplay

If you've never been to Tulsa, Oklahoma, you may not be aware of just how big the sky is.   When there isn't much terrestrial elevation to speak of, and not but a few small clusters of skyscrapers blocking your view, there's horizon everywhere you look, and the vastness of the atmosphere and beyond never escapes your attention.

One of my favorite songwriters, John Moreland, once wrote a song noting the significance of the "Endless Oklahoma Sky."  It's that very sky that must have served as a source of inspiration for The Wright Brothers' EP entitled You, Me, and the Universe.

The six-track offering opens with "Awakening," an epic power-pop tour-de-force boasting far more larger-than-life qualities than you're likely to have prepared yourself for.  Vocalist Jacob Wright soars above an impressive arrangement of wildly  fluttering guitars and synths, only to lightly float back to earth to join in tastefully musical harmonies with his brothers.

After "Awakening," the rest of the record unfolds, each track more grandiose than the one before.   The Wright Brothers have been sure to include all the musical elements that any modern pop-rock fan would be looking for, but have dramatically raised the stakes in orchestrational immensity for the genre.

Never letting go of the idea that this record was inspired by the sky, I couldn't keep from imagining light-speed space travel when I first laid ears on the exciting opening synth lines of the third track, entitled "New Science."   The following track, "The Waltz" momentarily shifts gears with the gentle breeze of acoustic guitars and a relentlessly infectious humming/whistling melody in the introduction.

Now, don't get me wrong - if you enjoy a good pop record, You, Me, and the Universe doesn't disappoint.  However, one thing that is glaringly obvious about this record is that the songs plead to be heard in a live performance setting.  It really doesn't matter how much money you spent on your headphones - they won't do these songs justice.

When you really get down to it, I most certainly would recommend picking up or downloading a copy of The Wright Brothers' You Me and the Universe.  But what you need to do, really, is make a point to catch them live.  

-JR

visit The Wright Brothers' official website
get the record on iTunes

Record Review: Wire Method - The Trying EP

Wire Method
The Trying EP
Label: none
For Fans Of:  Eisley, Copeland, Lydia

When I write a record review, particularly for a new artist,  I do my best not to express any of my own preconceived notions or personal bias.  But in this case, I'm making an exception - because my bias toward Wire Method, as a band, was actually quite negative.  And if I do say so myself, it makes for a pretty good story.

I discovered Wire Method in Atlanta, Georgia, to where I traveled from my home in Tulsa to attend the reunion show of my favorite band of all time, twothirtyeight.   Now generally, I am all in favor of opening bands, and what they add to a live music experience.  I usually hate missing them, but then again, I'm the kind of guy who hates missing previews at the movies.  This show, however, was the one exception.  After driving halfway across America, only to find out that the show started two hours later than the time printed on the ticket - I just wanted the headliner to go on so I could get started home.  

I want to paint this picture as vividly as I can, so that you can understand where I'm coming from.  The show start time kept getting pushed back further and further, and I was exhausted, hungry, and growing more impatient my the second.   The room was over-sold, and we couldn''t move into the venue's larger room because it had been booked by the Morbid Angel tour, whose subwoofers bled through the walls and pulsed in time with my ever-intensifying headache.  So when Wire Method finally took the stage, and I saw that half of the six-piece outfit was made up of teenage girls, my frustrations were reaching their peak:

"what can these children possibly know about twothirtyeight, and why are they here?"

"how could anyone think that I have the slightest interest in hearing nauseating warbling from overly dramatic high school kids?"


I'd like to say that once they started playing, my unacceptably negative attitude was overwhelmed by how great they were.  But in all honesty, I checked out mentally and barely paid attention - both to Wire Method and The Great Book of John, the other opening band, and another artist that I assumed I hated for a couple of days afterward.

Twothirtyeight eventually took the stage, and it was the greatest show I've ever been to.  

Weeks passed, and I came across Wire Method on some social media outlet - frankly, I forget which one.  I remembered the light that I had previously seen them in, and felt some amount of remorse, as if I had personally told them off for being so annoying.  I decided to give them another listen, outside the context of a 14-hour road trip and three hours of waiting in line.  

Hm.  Not as bad as I remember.  

So.  That brings us to the issue at hand, finally: Wire Method's debut EP, starkly titled The Trying EP.  A five song offering that I'm happy to report that I actually enjoyed.  

The record opens with "Anchor,"  a dynamic, dramatic rush of indie-pop prestige that does an adequate job of distracting you from the fact that you're listening to such young musicians.  "Anchor" (like much of the record after it) is marked by meticulously orchestrated guitars and keyboards, stately rhythms, and fluttering, memorable melodies colored with harmony.  From the very beginning of the record, Wire Method is careful not to understate their strengths, without shoving them down your throat, and without giving all their secrets away too early.

The second cut, "Glass," gives us a further glimpse into Wire Method's musical arsenal, with a deceptively cheerful sounding opening minute, before augmenting to a minor key, and the harmonizing Scott sisters snarling "you're like glass, I can see right through you" reminiscent of Sherri Dupree wailing through one of the angrier tunes from Eisley's The Valley.  

"Keep On" is next, and probably my favorite.  A toe-tapping (and fairly danceable, if that matters to you) backbeat is solidly established by drummer Lauren Scott and bassist Jarred Cox, before Wire Method's signature sugary-sweet pop hooks with intricate harmonies burn a melodic image in your head that you won't soon be able to shake.  

The record ends with "The Beginning," a 6/8 indie-pop power ballad, and "Brighter Days" a more than appropriate closing track for a record cut from this sort of cloth, complete with gang vocals. By the time it's over, you realize that the record celebrates its composers' youth, without incessantly dangling it in front of you as if it's the only thing they have going for them.

When weighing out the weaker points of this record, it's important to remember that this is a debut effort, and its outstanding musical merit surpasses that of so many similar artists' later-career crowning achievements.  This is also the time to remind myself just how young these people are.  

With that disclaimer in mind - the record leaves a little to be desired on the originality front. For the most part, it's lacking textures that I haven't heard before on Eisley or Copeland records.  Also, in terms of vocal harmony, I'm more than impressed by Brooklynn and Morgan Scott's abilities, but I feel like some of the especially shining moments throughout the record would have been more impactful if there had been just a little more solo voice along the way to contrast them with.  

Having said that, I can honestly say that it was more than worth it to give them a second go with a less contemptuous attitude.    If The Trying EP is a jumping off point, it's clear that indie-pop and melodic alternative rock fans have a lot to look forward to from Wire Method.  

-JR

Visit Wire Method on Facebook
Buy the record (physical or digital) on bandcamp