mp3: The Wrens - She Sells Kisses

The bonus of having the pressure lifted from my shoulders at the end of this week was simply being able to listen to music again. It seemed like weeks where I barely listened to anything never mind got inspired. But as I set about writing my music listings for the paper this week I came across The Wrens - who I admittedly hadn’t heard before - and fell in love with this song.

I did know their name previously, though it kinda inferred to me punky riot grrrl stylings, and how wrong could i be because their all-male lo-fi guitar pop seems to enjoy some really sublime moments. Possibly most famous for managing to take seven years to release a follow-up to 1996’s Secaucus, their most recent album The Meadowlands may well be one of the most sparking, earnest, yet almost-shy pieces of alt-guitar rock I’ve stumbled upon this year. Like Catherine Wheel without the guitar bombast, or the moments of glory Sparklehorse used to come up with.

If I’d heard this song in 1996 I’d have bought the album immediately - as that’s how I was back then. Now I merely download the album and see if it maintains the standard - well to be fair, I do have a lot of CDs that only had one or two great songs and a lot of mediocre - but so far I’m impressed enough to go shopping for it.

For those too lazy to download, ‘She Sends Kisses’ will also stream from piespace.

Plus they’re in Holland next week:

June 30: Vera, Groningen
July 1: Melkweg, Amsterdam
July 2: Metropolis Festival, Rotterdam