Wavves: Wavvves

Label: Fat Possum

Funny that such a simple record is becoming something of a divisive subject in the indie world. Then again, it might be so only in the comments sections of Idolator and Pitchfork and the like. The only thing worse than writing those comments is reading them; you know it’s true. But I digress. The subject at hand is this album, not necessarily what Nathan “Wavves” Williams stands for with his choice of fidelity (lo) or label (Fat Possum) or whatever. Wavvves is eminently likable, resembling a less-ambitious Times New Viking: buzzing distorto-pop that communicates in color-block emotions—as in, Williams sounds kinda sad sometimes (“No Hope Kids,” “So Bored”) and kinda happy at others (“Gun in the Sun,” “To the Dregs”). He also seems to have an abiding interest in incongruous goths. Cool enough! The self-proclaimed deep-thinkers of today can overanalyze all they want, but the Wavves aesthetic is like most others: It’s just fine, so long as you do something with it. (M.L. Thrope)