A Light Far Out - The Wake Album Review

The Wake's Crush the Flowers 7"

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Album Review

Formed in 1981 by former Altered Images guitarist Gerard (aka Caesar), Steven Allen and future Primal Scream icon Bobby Gillespie, there's enough pedigree here to earn The Wake some kudos and plenty of hits on Wikipedia, if not on Amazon, Cerysmatic and their current label-haven, LTM Records. Musically, they still sit within the melodic, reflective and, some might suggest, fey borders already currently occupied by the likes of The Drums (who have acclaimed The Wake as an influence), Camera Obscura and Allo' Darlin', as well as previous acts on navel-gazing labels such as Sarah or Creation, circa the '80s."A Light Far Out" is The Wake's first full-length album since 1994's bitter and twisted urban-sprawl, "Tidal Wave of Hype" and marks, not so much a departure from earlier works, but rather a continuation of where they previously left off, although with just eight tracks, they've kept things short and very, very sweet.

From the opening wistful "Stockport", with its self-deprecating lyric "Walk through any town/towns all look the same", to the final closing epic "The Sands", The Wake have visited every previous precious creative trademark and buffed it up with pin-sharp arrangements, augmented by simple tinkling keyboards or sad-face synths. Which is, of course, the point. Caesar's band don't specialize in riffs, shouting or dubstep, they evoke images of windswept Scottish landscapes, bitterly-cold European plazas or deserted public-amenities, much like the fairground's carousel on the sleeve. If you wanted this band to embark on a radical departure, forget it - they haven't and thank Heavens for that.

Clear winners on this rather engaging collection include the sprightly must-be-a-single "Back of Beyond", the glitch electro-ballad "If The Ravens Leave", the aforementioned "Stockport" and "The Sands" and the rather lovely instrumental "Faintness", which is as techno as you'll get here, without larging it or falling asleep.

What really stands out with this album is the attention to emotional detail, be it the washes of tearful synth, the fragility of Caesar's vocals or the entire mood across this consistent octet. Sure, it doesn't all work perfectly, for example the title track probably withers away for a few minutes more than it should and "Starry Day" just exists as a platform for the even-more-fragile vocals from Carolyn Allen, but The Drums are right - The Wake remain subtle, sparkling, magical and influential, probably way more than they've had credit for. Will Nouvelle Vague cover any of the songs on here as they did with "O Pamela" (from the still-superior album, "Here Comes Everybody")? Who cares - what matters is now. And right now, there is a light that is far from out - it's burning so very very brightly.

Paul Pledger