Good job, Wye Oak. I saw them two years ago during CMJ and thought they were rather dull. This was before they recorded and released The Knot. Last weekend's set was a thousand times better. Maybe, I should give band second chances. NAAHHHHHH.
I kid. The Baltimore duo have fine tuned their alt-county folk pop vibes and given their sound some life. The songs seem fuller and better constructed. Although, I think Wye Oak is a better band on record then they are live. The two person set-up does inhibit them from reproducing some of those larger elements from their albums like the forceful sections of "For Prayer" or "Tattoo". There's only so much you can do with guitar loops, drums and occasional keyboards. The new material they trotted had a little more of a harder, faster edge. Henceforth, I shall keep on eye on them.
Their next visit will be at Mercury Lounge on Sept. 1 and Sept. 4 at Maxwell's -- both will be opening sets for Lou Barlow.
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