North Carolina’s Wednesday revived Indie rock of the 90s (power pop, grunge, shoegaze, slacker rock, country rock), sounding sort of like all of the above. Singer, Karly Hartzman falls somewhere in between Liz Phair and Alannis Morrisette. Bleeds is their most varied and dynamic album yet. Note the mix of scorching guitar riffs, tuneless singing and country melody on the single, Townies. The album follows in this path with songs that are equally noisy as they are catchy like Wound Up Here, Candy Breath but also softer fare like the alt-country ballad, Elderberry Wine or the honky tonk shuffle Phish Pepsi. The band dials up the intensity on the dynamic Pick Up That Knife. Hartzman meanwhile rises to the task of the emocore fury of Wasp. The existential Bitter Everyday boasts the most sorrowful melody (a la Nirvana). The Ethel Cain-esque piano dirge Caroline Murder Suicide is further evidence of the band’s range.
Across the record, the band is a dynamic machine, infusing the songs with changes in both volume and tempo. Perhaps the album lacks a powerful centrepiece like Bull Believer on Rat Saw Good, but overall, this feels like their most complete album.
Label: Dead Oceans
Released: September 19, 2025
Best Tracks: Townies, Bitter Everyday
Losing My Edge Rating: 7/10