Yuck. I really don't like this album. 

Wavves, the self-titled debut album by Nathan Williams (and Ryan Ulsh on drums) was good. The first three tracks, "Intro Goth," "California Goth," and "Wavves" (I guess I had the cassette edition that came out in 2008 when Williams was solo) were tongue-lolling-, head-shaking-good. They sounded vaguely the same as each other, and the rest of the tracks, but they incited a beach riot in my memory; an experience I had never had. It was visceral!

But this album, Afraid of Heights, doesn't do any of that: Williams voice is cloying, track after fucking track; and the music is as thin as an eyelash without the rubbed-raw sandpaper sound of their older stuff. 

A few songs worth trying out are, "Afraid of Heights"—which features Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley (another band I stopped liking after their first two albums), and for which Wavves has released a supposedly evocative concept video??—, "Everything Is My Fault," and "That's On Me"–which isn't bad. "Gimme a Knife" drops a few cold, old tricks out of their sleeve, but only for a gleaming instant. The song titles are cute, but I'm afraid that's a part of the game, not honest artistic direction. Oh well, I guess my opinion of Wavves is tarnished. Not that that's a big deal, they've always been pretty green (and not like money, which I think they have acquired, bless their hearts).

After the release of King of the Beach in 2010, Williams said, "...the tone of the first two records" was "like, 'got no car, got no money, but, I still got my parents' house." An insightful statement that aptly reflected their music–which has not evolved with the times.

Grade: C-

San Diego punks Wavves first single from their forthcoming LP, Afraid of Heights, is a cleaned up take on their brash, power chord heavy sound. "Demon to Lean On" features the catchy pop-punk hooks of frontman Nathan Williams and makes the band's mid 90's punk influences fully apparent. Williams has clearly made strides as a songwriter while preserving the same snot nosed grit that marked the band's early recordings. Check out the track below. 

Appearing live at the Town Ballroom on Friday September 14th will be genius Wu-Tang member GZA with the 64 Squares Tour. It was just announced that Buffalo will be the first date of this anticipated tour that not only includes the legendary GZA but several other multifarious talents. These include Atlanta rapper KILLER MIKE who released one of 2012's best Hip-Hop albums R.A.P. Music, Brooklyn electro melody rockers BEAR HANDS, and Nathan Williams' (frontman of Wavves) new project with his brother Kynan called SWEET VALLEY. Of particular note Sweet Valley is about to release their first EP called Stay Calm, set to come out on Fool's Gold Records August 7th. It's being described at an instrumental beat tape, take a listen to one of the tracks below titled "Suzuka 9 Hours."

GZA is fresh off of his reissue of his Sophomore album Liquid Swords, one of the most classic Hip-Hop albums of all time. It is rumored that he will be performing with a live band that will include Wavves/Sweet Valley's Nathan Williams on guitar. Ticket prices and dates of sale to the public have not been announced yet.

 

Sweet Valley - Suzuka 9 Hours by foolsgoldrecs