Album Review: swell by WIG (by Marcus Pond)

WIG is a three-piece rock band from Chicago that now has a pair of EPs under their belt. Not too keen on following basic capitalization structures, their band name is in all caps, while neither of their EPs (their debut “wig” and most recent “swell”) contain any capitals. They’re not too big on capitalism either, as they are unsearchable on iTunes and Spotify, and their Bandcamp page states that you can “name your price” for their music.

swell opens up with “I Don’t Mind”, which has a Dinosaur Jr. feel about it, alternating between fuzzy, 90s era alternative rock tones. It’s a sweet, grungy love note to that special someone, opening up with the line “You got a way / To make me almost forget everything”. It’s upbeat and you can almost feel the wind blowing through your hair as you listen to it.

In the middle of the five song release is “Heap”, a two minute instrumental that I originally mistook for a long intro into the fourth track, but actually stands up really well on its own. I’ve tended to kind of disregard what I consider a kind of “throw away” instrumental tracks (because I’d prefer it to have some lyrics to make it a little more memorable, I guess), but it’s got a great riff and seems like part of an intimate jam session they decided to mic up. You’ve won this round, instrumental tracks.

“Fencing” is the most punk tune on the EP, and definitely my favorite. It kicks off with some intense drumming, interspersed with angular guitars and a rolling bass line. After the build up, vocalist/guitarist Chris Gottlieb channels his inner Ian McKaye, growling about neutral onlookers who shy away from taking sides over important matters. “From atop this fence / I can look down / Oh little people / Choosing some ground / Don’t dare to offend / Anyone at all / Who might put a dent in / My social capital”. Definitely an appropriate listen on my way to the voting booth at the beginning of March. The last 20 seconds or so devolve into a frenzy of drumming and swirling guitars, which left me feeling a little exhausted after the first listen.

I love the DIY-feel of swell, and the sound that WIG has honed on their second EP. I’m a sucker for accumulating great music on vinyl, but if they keep on putting out cassettes, I might need to dig up a Walkman to more fully enhance my auditory experience.

RIYL: Dinosaur Jr., Fugazi, Drilling For Blasting, deciding whether to eat at Portillo’s or Giordano’s

Stream and download swell on Bandcamp here.

Like WIG on Facebook here.

This review was written by Marcus Pond.