Longwave will release their new LP, "The Strangest Things" this February and it is one of the most riveting, gripping albums to be released in years. "The Strangest Things" is the New York City-based band's fourth album and a significant departure from their other work.
Fresh off tours with both The Strokes and The Vines, in which they were reported to have stolen night after night, Longwave is ready to make a deep impact in both the indie and rock worlds. Rochester born and raised singer/songwriter, Steve Schlitz, has taken his band and created a layered, textual work, highlighting the talents of each member. The fact that the extraordinarily talented Mercury Rev/Flaming Lips producer Dave Friedman, a professor at nearby Fredonia University, produced his record helps as well.
Don't be misled by their tour-mates. Longwave's work may be rock and roll, but it's far from the rootsy, stripped-down "appeal" of The Vines, and much more emotional than the mechanical efficiency of The Strokes. This record accomplishes what most bands fail to do: evoke comparisons to remarkable bands without detracting from the music or making it feel like a copy. The overall sound of "The Strangest Things" is a cross-section of rock, indie, and Brit-pop, reminiscent of early U2, R.E.M., Beck, Sloane, and even The Smiths.
However, the resounding comparison lies in similarities to stellar work done by Britain's doves. It is half-expected that during the opening track, "Wake Me When It's Over," doves' Jez Williams will materialize out of thin air. The single, "Everywhere You Turn," is a highway drive of a track, with a bassline straight from The Sheila Divine, and guitar work similar to that of The Strokes.
Somewhere in this mix emerges a distinct sound Longwave has created for itself. "The Strangest Things" is a record that dares listeners to skip to the next track, knowing full well that if they do, they will miss something special and intelligent. Schlitz and company have created a composition that is more interesting and vivid than most major label material in past years, highlighted by an aspect rarely seen in this world: a better second half of a disc than the first. The title track, much like the tracks "Tidal Wave," "The Ghosts Around You," and "Day Sleeper," is very straight-forward and simple, yet at the same time, each listen finds something new to pay attention to and admire.
Longwave blew the roof off of Mohawk Place last month when they were in town with local standouts, Starsick. That was just during their soundcheck. So while Buffalo may not be seeing Longwave in such an intimate setting ever again, the city will be hearing a lot from the New York four-piece and "The Strangest Things," which may do exactly what doves did with "The Last Broadcast": make many, many musicians quit in homage to brilliance.
Photo: Courtesy of SUNY
