Wand’s psychedelia has matured and deepened with each release, and their 2024 album Vertigo continues this evolution from their 2019 effort, Laughing Matter. Drawing songs from lengthy group improvisations, they’ve replaced their earlier garage sound’s crowded bluster with ample space and thoughtful arrangements. Vocalist/guitarist/bandleader Cory Hanson guides this new set of songs in a direction reminiscent of his slow-moving solo albums, singing in either a Thom Yorke-esque mutter or a haunted falsetto over tracks that shift and ooze.
“Curtain Call” is centered around a deep space groove that unfurls from sparse, shutter-clicking tremolo guitar feedback to grandiose string arrangements and soft synthesizer plucks. One of the more exploratory tracks, “Mistletoe,” starts with punchy percussion and a thick Zamrock riff, layered with drums, dissonant horn-like sounds, and synths that gradually dissolve into formlessness. Vertigo excels in subtlety, with changes occurring so gently and with such control that the listener barely notices the songs ramping up. “JJ” is a prime example of this, featuring hooky vocal harmonies, swimming strings, and odd rhythm changes that build until a minimal song spins into beautiful, soft chaos. “Smile” amplifies the volume with distorted rock riff power, landing somewhere between Bardo Pond and Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins, while “High Time” delves into a more abrasive blur of alt-rock hooks and angry fuzz. Vertigo maintains a consistent balance between catharsis and ambience. It’s a quietly adventurous album, never feeling like it’s pushing too hard in any one direction, even as it swings from blown amplifiers to bubbly flutes. This album is another exciting addition to the unique world Wand has been creating for over a decade, where most of the action happens beneath the surface.
English