Search - Wake :: Harmony + Singles

A Neglected Classic

Thomas Horan | Chapel Hill, NC | 06/05/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This splendid album/compilation is often unjustly dismissed solely for supposedly sounding too much like Joy Division. The influence is undeniably strong. Harmony was produced by Chris Nagle, the engineer of Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures. Both groups shared the same indy label. And the album cover has that spare, Peter Saville look. But it's silly to let those similarities dissuade you from giving this record a chance because Joy Division's sound happens to be a very good one and their influence extended to nearly every underground band playing in the UK at that time. In fact The Wake seem especially adept at retaining some of Joy Division's best attributes (motorik percussion, melodic bass lines, and atmospheric production), while making the overall sound much more accessible. The guitar work in particular is pleasantly thin and trebly in sharp contrast to Bernard Albrecht's raw, jagged, gain-driven playing. Nevertheless, apart from the style employed, it's the quality of the songs themselves that make a great record. And the songs collected here range from good to magic. "Immaculate Conception" and "Something Outside" are masterpieces surrounded by several other post-punk gems. And the lyrics, though somewhat unremarkable earlier on, get increasingly clever and intriguing. If you like groups like The Cure, Wire, Ride, New Order, and The Sound, you'll certainly appreciate this!"