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Apr 29, 2014Departures rarely sound this confident--it helps that Shriek builds off of the major songwriting strides made by Civilian.
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MagnetMay 19, 2014Wye Oak just turned in one of the year's most satisfying and seductive records. [No. 109, p.51]
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Apr 25, 2014Shriek is a powerful reminder of how refreshing and affecting bands can be if they have the confidence, self-awareness and ambition to look beyond their usual horizons.
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Apr 24, 2014Shriek is perhaps not what we expected from a Wye Oak record, but it’s blinding nonetheless, and, while destroying any preconceived notions of the band, lodges itself near the top--if not at the top--of their canon.
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Apr 29, 2014It's certainly not Dungeonesse II, despite the superficial similarities. It's still got that rough-hewn, faltering-gear quality that bubbles up to make the group's most basic indie rock gems uniquely their own.
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Apr 29, 2014Sure, the sound of Shriek may scare off people who need guitars to be the focal point of their indie rock, but for anyone with a slightly more experimental nature or anyone who likes synths and subtlety and wonderfully emotive vocals, it's a great and welcome surprise that's a brilliant step forward for Wye Oak.
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Apr 28, 2014When everything clicks, as in the ghostly bounce of “Schools of Eyes,” the band’s new direction seems inevitable.
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Apr 28, 2014Shriek is a refreshing dive into the ambiguous depths of the indie-pop pool, made possible by two musicians who have shown great conviction in revamping their sound without ditching the fundamentals that have made them such a powerhouse.
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Apr 28, 2014It’s been a long wait, but Wye Oak are beginning to blossom.
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Alternative PressApr 24, 2014Andy Stack's accompaniments are dynamic, elusive and overflowing with heart. [May 2014, p.94]
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UncutApr 24, 2014Shriek is a sustained act of seduction, a deftly conjoined conjuring of song, rhythm and mood. [May 2014, p.83]
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Apr 29, 2014As expected, Shriek, Wye Oak’s newest full-length, is filled to the brim with surprise.
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Apr 28, 2014Her voice also takes up more space on this record, going deeper and flitting over Stack’s melodies with such abandon it’s as if she might float away.
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May 1, 2014All said, it’s clear Shriek is an ambitious work, but is it enjoyable? Yes, but not in the obvious way Civilian was, for there is no song that approaches the immediacy and infectiousness of that album’s title track.
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Apr 29, 2014This is tough, knotty indie rock the way Yaz might do it.
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Apr 28, 2014Throughout the album, she shifts from restrained cool to soaring sentimentalism in mere seconds; this dynamic is something that Civilian possessed, but Shriek masters.
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Apr 25, 2014Die-hard fans of Civilian may be wary but after a few listens, this will sit proudly alongside some of the band's best work.
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Apr 24, 2014This album is more of a reset than a reinvention, ditching the guitar was meant to make or break them, but it's kind of done neither.
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Apr 29, 2014Ultimately, Shriek is an admirable reinvention.
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May 8, 2014Wasner’s vocals seem more confident and assertive now, as if she’s come of age. Still, there are moments on Shriek just yearning for a clever guitar melody or screeching solo.
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Apr 28, 2014Shriek is certainly a considerable statement that opens up endless vistas of possibility for a reinvigorated band.
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Apr 24, 2014Far too few of the songs are strong enough to really engage--so Shriek wafts by in a beautifully crafted haze.
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Apr 25, 2014Despite its lesser moments (forgivable, given the nature of the project), Shriek is a successful reinvention and hopefully a prelude of things to come as the band embarks on its new life.
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Q MagazineApr 24, 2014A step backwards. [May 2014, p.121
User score distribution:
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Positive: 17 out of 21
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Mixed: 3 out of 21
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Negative: 1 out of 21
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May 8, 2014