Wavves’s obligatory fuzz receives a bit of a spit shine in their most recent release, Afraid of Heights, from Mom + Pop Music. While Nathan Williams’s trademark sound––vocal melodies that teeter between simplistic charm and monotone whine, distortion-laden guitar attack, and punchy yet practical bass and drum work––still dominates the album, the packaging and delivery of each of these bored-at-the-beach stoner anthems is somehow a little more refined than one might expect. Which isn’t to say that the album ever feels overwrought or too polished – not at all. But there is something that feels somewhat safe about Afraid of Heights.
The fact that Williams fronted the cash himself to take his lo-fi, surf rock show into a professional studio under the guidance of pop record producer John Hill could have something to do with it. The overall vibe reminds me of a bookshelf made in high school wood shop: just enough structural integrity to be functional yet still rough to the touch because the slacker carpenter decided to duck out of class and find some inconspicuous spot to smoke cigarettes.
“Sail To The Sun,” the album’s opening track, is indicative of the pretty-gritty balance throughout Afraid of Heights. Like the title track of their 2010 success, King Of The Beach, “Sail To The Sun” is an ode dedicated to that bright burning ball in the sky, but instead of barreling out of the gates with pure concussive force, Williams has chosen to ease the listener in with 42 seconds of soothing swirls of keyboard and bells this time around. Then, just as soon as you are about to be unexpectedly lulled (or bored) by this new direction, bass and drums enter the fray frantically followed closely behind by scratchy guitars and howling vocals, all of which culminates in an explosive chorus. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is unable to maintain this energy.
While the first half of the record is noticeably full of emotional and sonic highs, including the dreamy and grunge-soaked “Demon To Lean On,” the unrelenting “Lunge Forward,” and the subtle and refreshingly mature “Dog,” the second half tends drag – much like the extended and discordant outro of title track “Afraid Of Heights.” By the time “Beat Me Up” rolls around, the tracks have begun to blend together – and “Everything Is My Fault” just outright kills whatever momentum had been accumulating. It also doesn’t help that Williams is repetitive in the lyrical themes he chooses to explore, including self-deprecation and inadequacy, failed relationships, anxiety, isolation, and what it means to hold a life-sucks-then-you-die-so-fuck-it-let’s-go-surfing mentality.
My only gripe with this is that some iterations invite empathy while others invite mockery. For instance, the chorus on “Gimme a Knife” admits “I loved you Jesus / You raped the world / I feel defeated / Let’s all go surf,” which is funny because the sentiments expressed are so overtly disaffected and deadpan. On the other hand, there is more straightforward and heartfelt crooning on “Dog,” with Williams offering, “In the morning, / wake up choking but it’s sunny. / They’re the same too, / when you blame everybody. / Still I’ll be your dog.” I suppose I just don’t know which pathos to take seriously, though maybe that’s the point.
In any case, if you enjoyed King Of The Beach, you will undoubtedly dig Afraid of Heights. As long as you’re prepared for a little more of the same, you won’t be disappointed.
Review by Justin Davis