As a life long resident of the Garden State, I can safely say that most of the stereotypes about my fatherland are woefully true. We have odious pollution, an overabundance of suburban apathy and angst, some of the most corrupt, crime-ridden cities in the country, and far too many speed traps on the Parkway. However, native musicians are one area in which New Jerseyans can take pride.
The Wrens are some of the most criminally overlooked contributors to New Jersey’s recent musical legacy.
It’s likely that most readers won’t have heard of the Wrens or their new album The Meadowlands-they’ve been absent from the music scene for seven years. According to bassist Kevin Whelan, the time was spent determining the band’s musical direction and struggling to keep the band going without a record deal or any label support. The band’s notable 1996 album, Secaucus, marked the end of their contract with Grass Records, and it generated enough attention for major labels to come knocking. However, Whelan said that the labels were looking for musical compromises to increase mass appeal, and the band eschewed the possibility of fame and fortune to work on their next album.
“We thought it would take just a couple months, but time goes fast, and years went by,” Whelan said.
The time has clearly paid off, as reflected in the delicate care evident in every arrangement and the bitter, melancholy emotion driving each song. The restrained, cricket-infested opener “The House That Guilt Built” shares the same inspiration that gives “Everyone Chooses Sides” its anthemic power. The band’s stylistic diversity ranges as far as country-esque acoustic ramblings on “13 Months in 6 Minutes,” but each song is clearly designed to fit precisely into the album’s vision.
The album’s crowning achievements are the songs that showcase the sort of slow-building, understated thoughtfulness that makes the Wrens’ work both incredibly appealing and intensely meaningful. Whelan’s pulsing bass on “Happy” serves as the backdrop for the initially chiming guitars that grow with the vocals in presence and intensity to a screaming energy before dropping into an unexpectedly poppy breakdown reminiscent of the Pixies. “She Sends Kisses” is a perfect soundscape of a Jersey shore romance, again growing from a whisper into a poignant cry. “Boys, You Won’t,” possibly the album’s best track, lays pounding piano over a dissonant guitar line and crashing percussion to create a swelling, restless, four-and-a-half minute epic.
Such enthusiastic reviews might sound somewhat over the top, but Whelan says that “writers have always been really nice to us. They’ve always sort of gotten what we’re doing.” Their status as critical darlings is certainly helping the Wrens with their comeback of sorts, as the band might otherwise go nearly unnoticed, since large scale touring is essentially out of the question.
“Touring is great, especially if you can work it out so that you can make some money and line up some really good shows, but we’re trying to work out a new angle,” said Whelan. “We all have day jobs right now and the music can’t support our rent. We’re not a 22 -year-old punk band where you can just drive around in your parents’ car,” Whelan said.
On the subject of fame and fortune, Whelan said that anyone who denies they want it is foolish, but that the Wrens don’t consider it a goal. In his opinion, having fans approach the band at shows to say how much they enjoyed the album is just as good as being U2.
Regardless of the lack of widespread recognition or the necessity of a day job, Whelan feels that the band is extremely successful, especially in terms of personal satisfaction. Considering the triumph of The Meadowlands and the band’s current tour, Whelan said, “It’s just really nice to have worked on something for so long and come out and have so many amazing people be really nice about it … How many times in your life do you get to do something where a stranger comes up to you and says ‘What you do is really cool’?”
The Wrens will be appearing at Black Cat at 1811 14th St., N.W. on Sunday Nov. 9.
