Wednesday’s Bleeds is an unmatched entry in the modern roots-leaning indie landscape.
Bleeds is Wednesday’s sixth studio album. It was released in September this year. Before its release, Karly Hartzman, the band’s frontwoman, described the album as a showcase of the band’s official sound.
Show Track Credits
Lead Vocals, Guitar
Guitar, Vocals
Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
Bass Guitar, Piano
Drums
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Songwriter
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Oh my. Where do I start with this masterpiece? The track starts with an unsuspecting rock crescendo—nothing of particular excitement for the first few seconds. Then we get the first verse delivered by Karly’s delightfully exhausted vocals: “Pickin’ the ticks off of you / “If you need me, I’ll call you” / In wino shoes, he drags his feet / And I’ll crawl toward you unkillably.” With those four lines alone, Wednesday makes a strong case for why Bleeds is potentially not only one of the best projects of this year but also of the decade. Then, might I ask, what on earth are those insane post-verse instrumental breaks on this track? We’re treated to three more neo-elite-tier poetry verses before the track crashes out refreshingly. At the end of the opener, it feels as if we’ve casually witnessed the opening act of the next big stage play.
Guys, buckle up! Welcome to Bleeds.
Show Track Credits
Lead Vocals, Guitar
Guitar, Vocals
Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
Bass Guitar, Piano
Drums
Primary Artist
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Mixing Engineer, Producer
Mastering Engineer
“I never yelled at you about it ‘cause you died.” Holy smokes! The poetry of "Reality TV Argument Bleeds” is swapped for plain narration on the heart-wrenching “Townies.” Narratively, it’s a tale as old as time: regret over a failed relationship. However, the performance the Wednesday crew delivers on this track, paired with the irresistible masked apathy of Karly’s vocals, results in a track that serves as a tearjerker even to lifelong celibates. The band successfully bloats the track with melancholy without employing the expected techniques. It needs to be heard to fully comprehend. Overall, it’s an excellent effort.
Show Track Credits
Lead Vocals, Guitar
Guitar, Vocals
Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
Bass Guitar, Piano
Drums
Primary Artist
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Mixing Engineer, Producer
Mastering Engineer
“I wound up here by holding on.” Karly’s vocals whimper lightly into more melancholic territories for the beginning portions of the track before they explode easily into full rage on the track’s latter half. Overall, with this track, we’re treated to yet another beautiful heart-wrenching effort.
Show Track Credits
Lead Vocals, Guitar
Guitar, Vocals
Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
Bass Guitar, Piano
Drums
Primary Artist
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Mixing Engineer, Producer
Mastering Engineer
“But everybody gets along just fine ‘cause the champagne tastes like elderberry wine.” The writing thus far has been phenomenal. “Elderberry Wine” performance-wise is the most tame the album has been up till this point, but writing compensates immensely for what’s not fully present with the performance.
Show Track Credits
Lead Vocals, Guitar
Guitar, Vocals
Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
Bass Guitar, Piano
Drums
Primary Artist
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Mixing Engineer, Producer
Mastering Engineer
The album continues in an upbeat atmosphere with an up-tempo re-recording of “Phish Pepsi” from the band’s 2021 Guttering EP. This version of the track swaps out the overall dreary, lo-fi finish of the original for a much livelier, country-kissed rendition that flows perfectly with the batch of tracks preceding it. It feels like a fun interlude almost.
Show Track Credits
Lead Vocals, Guitar
Guitar, Vocals
Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
Bass Guitar, Piano
Drums
Primary Artist
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Mixing Engineer, Producer
Mastering Engineer
Wednesday returns to core rock sounds on the tame-by-comparison yet still modestly amusing “Candy Breath.”
Show Track Credits
Lead Vocals, Guitar
Guitar, Vocals
Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
Bass Guitar, Piano
Drums
Primary Artist
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Mixing Engineer, Producer
Mastering Engineer
On “The Way Love Goes,” Karly’s vocals are given the most room they’ve been given thus far to provide a melancholic, introspective ballad about the ups and downs of love.
Show Track Credits
Lead Vocals, Guitar
Guitar, Vocals
Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
Bass Guitar, Piano
Drums
Primary Artist
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Mixing Engineer, Producer
Mastering Engineer
Whoa! The instrumental breaks following every few verses are an absolute must-listen. The track overall is yet another strong highlight on the project, easing its way from an aggressive upbeat intro into an easygoing yet uptight outro.
Show Track Credits
Lead Vocals, Guitar
Guitar, Vocals
Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
Bass Guitar, Piano
Drums
Primary Artist
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Mixing Engineer, Producer
Mastering Engineer
Okay! Okay!! Okay!!! Karly’s done pretending here—she’s mad as hell now! “God’s plan unfolds so slow.” Despite being one of the album’s shortest tracks, “Wasp” showcases through sharply written lyrics a deep sense of frustration with life overall, a sentiment that’s fortified by Karly’s fry-screaming vocals and the band’s fastest-paced performance so far. Awesome track.
Show Track Credits
Lead Vocals, Guitar
Guitar, Vocals
Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
Bass Guitar, Piano
Drums
Primary Artist
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Mixing Engineer, Producer
Mastering Engineer
“And the sweetest parts of life keep getting bitter every day.” This track is another rock-rooted modest amusement that pays homage to Iris DeMent’s “Easy’s Gettin’ Harder Everyday” with parts of its lyrics.
Show Track Credits
Lead Vocals, Guitar
Guitar, Vocals
Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
Bass Guitar, Piano
Drums
Primary Artist
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Mixing Engineer, Producer
Mastering Engineer
“Carolina Murder Suicide” presents us with beautifully written introspective lyrics following the narrative of a house fire occurring alongside a murder suicide event. The song somewhat asks if tragedy can douse tragedy. What’s enough to stir you away from the weight of your own problems? It’s a decently performed ballad featuring another round of apt vocals from Karly.
Show Track Credits
Lead Vocals, Guitar
Guitar, Vocals
Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
Bass Guitar, Piano
Drums
Primary Artist
Composer, Songwriter
Composer, Songwriter
Songwriter
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Songwriter
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Mastering Engineer
Bleeds bows out humbly with a story of Gary, the apparent former landlord to Karly, who passed away.
This was a stellar listen. I can guarantee that you will enjoy listening to this in some way, irrespective of whether you are a fan of rock, country, Americana, or not. The writing is stunning. At times, you’re not too sure what the story entails or where it’s headed, but you’ll shed your (in)visible tears along the way. There’s absolutely nothing to hate. It’s undoubtedly one of the year’s very best efforts, especially in the subgenre ecosystem it occupies. I cannot recommend this enough.
Show Album Credits
Lead Vocals, Guitar
Guitar, Vocals
Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
Bass Guitar, Piano
Drums
Primary Artist
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter
Songwriter, Composer
Songwriter, Composer
Songwriter
Songwriter
Mixing Engineer, Producer
Mastering Engineer