Connor Spellecy
Contributing Writer
Alternative-country band Wednesday released their sixth album, “Bleeds,” on Friday, Sept. 19.
Wednesday continues to experiment with the country genre, creating complex instrumentals with vocals that range from melodic singing to primal screaming.
“Bleeds” is an album that focuses on themes like love, youth, and loss. From happier songs like “Elderberry Wine” to more intense tracks like “Pick Up That Knife,” blending both grunge and country, lead singer Karly Hartzman lays all her emotions out on the table. Hartzman flows between literal and figurative songwriting constantly, painting a strange yet beautiful picture with her singing.
With a runtime of 36 minutes, Wednesday is able to not only show off their updated sound, but also allow their listeners to get used to it. Listeners are eased into the sound, allowing them to form a more educated opinion on it.
However, some songs fall short. For example, “Phish Pepsi,” the fifth track on the album, has both funny and nostalgic lyrics, but lacks an enjoyable instrumental paired with singing that ranges between only two or three notes. The metaphors and other figurative language become a bit confusing at times, making the themes of certain songs hard to make out.
Still, Wednesday is able to bounce back from the weaker tracks, and is able to create amazing parts of songs that make the weaker tracks still worth listening to.
When compared to Wednesday’s previous albums, “Bleeds” shows just how much they have grown as a band.
Their last album, “Rat Saw God,” released in 2023, leaned towards the indie rock genre, while “Bleeds” embraces the band’s country roots, taking influence from 2024’s “Manning Fireworks,” the solo album of their lead guitarist, Mark Jacob “MJ” Lenderman.
On “Bleeds,” Lenderman continues to create country guitar riffs with slacker rock influences. “Bleeds” was met with positive reactions from audiences, receiving an 8.7 and being named best new music from Pitchfork magazine. The album also received very positive reviews from NPR, and four stars from Rolling Stone magazine.
“Bleeds” does not have an age rating, but it does contain references to drugs, alcohol and violence, as well as a bit of explicit language throughout the album.
“Bleeds” is available to stream on all music streaming platforms and is also available on vinyl for $24.99 and CD for $14.99.
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