Wet Wings – Glory Glory (Lil’ Chief) CD REVIEW

WELL, IF there’s a word that springs to mind when thinking about the Lil’ Chief label, that’s “wet”, so no surprise there’s a Christchurch duo called Wet Wings who have their debut out through the specialist’s in sensitive bedroom recordings.
Probably the most obvious comparison is early ‘80s bedsit duo Young Marble Giants, who also used acoustic, electric and electronic elements in a pleasingly primitive fashion.
Wet Wings have a warm, cosy ambience in which outright pastiche of ancient rock’n’roll and pop contrasts with contemporary influences like Animal Collective and Bachelorette.
Sometimes it works a charm, but too often the 11 songs of Glory Glory sound half-finished or slightly mismatched, like they just couldn’t be bothered finishing things off properly, or playing that line again.
Yes, it’s interesting to have songs about Christchurch, and even the earthquake. Heck, there’s even a song named after the city’s doomed Crowne Plaza.
Yet for all its considerable potential, the album is let down by careless unfinished business. Perhaps ‘Witching Hour’ sounds like a mess in an attempt to mimic the earth’s tremors, but ‘Stay Inside’ sounds like a demo of a demo, and ‘Grace’ features the worst male vocal I’ve heard all year. Yes, rough-hewn art can work wonders, but sloppiness just doesn’t cut it. GARY STEEL
Music = 3
Sound = 3