Search The Line of Best Fit
Search The Line of Best Fit

"Feeding Time"

Wayter – Feeding Time
01 June 2011, 09:00 Written by Slavko Bucifal
Email

The debut long player from Wayter offers full-time engagement with the senses and demonstrates the confident manner by which the band venture off into an almost improvisational brand of shoegaze noise-pop. Even though Wayter present like a veteran group, their identity is somewhat misleading from the opening track.

‘Cheese Sandwich’ breaks the calm before the storm with a hard hitting tone, soft melodies, then an explosion of aggressive vocals. It is definitely worthy of a repeat or two as the juxtaposing harmonies and howls work perfectly to hook the listener in and whet the appetite for the remainder of the disc; however, the lack of concern from the apparent damage being done to their vocal chords on the opener is not indicative of the album, which becomes somewhat anti-climactic. The energetic bursts are replaced with well rehearsed harmonies sung amidst a reserved wall of guitar-noise preferring an overall cleaner aesthetic. Even when the overdrive pedal is pushed, the guitars demonstrate controlled conservatism, though the underlying tones operate as an opposition electing to dabble with darker, sinister riffs. There are moments when the vocal bellows return, but only for brief seconds. As a result, Wayter is caught between here and there and it is not clear if the band is a fallen angel or a devil trying to free itself.

What is glaringly clear, by the midway point and excluding the opener, is Wayter’s identifiable sound forged with raspy harmonies, moody riffs, and a relentless effort to build epics. It seems every track layers toward a crescendo of ambient guitars. The album features two songs above the seven minute mark where the gestation period for the ambient deluge grows to a longer, more developed rise while preferring a calmer feel for the finish. Feeding Time likes to hover with intensity and the textures are impressive and well constructed; however, listening to the album in its entirety requires a great degree of concentration. After a few spins, one begins to notice other elements that may be hidden amongst the traffic, namely, expertly crafted drums that either roll into each other with an almost Jazz like work ethic, or display a primal urge to forcefully bang on something.

Wayter’s version of a Feeding Time frenzy lies somewhere between shoegaze and conglomerated noise-rock. While the opener may be misleading, the London 4 four piece carve out an identifiable sound with assurance and fortitude.

Share article
Email

Get the Best Fit take on the week in music direct to your inbox every Friday

Read next