Harmony [Deluxe Edition]

by The Wake

Overview

The Wake formed when guitarist/vocalist Caesar left Altered Images in 1981. When he split he took a huge chunk of their early gloomy, post-punk sound with him. Teaming with synth player Carolyn Allen, bassist Bobby Gillespie, and drummer Stephen Allen, he conjured up a low budget, scrappy take on the gloomy, post-punk sound favored by New Order at the time. Unlike the many other bands who did the same, the Wake added their own tense, melodramatic spin to it. Caesar's vocals and words have a warmth that balances the shards of guitars, murky keyboard drone, pummeling drums, and Peter Hook-y bass. Harmony is a strong debut that shows the band not yet fully realized, but close enough to escape any charges of mere copycatting. Would they exist without the path New Order, and Joy Division before them, blazed? Probably not, but that doesn't mean that they didn't make music worth hearing. Certainly any sad, lonely soul will find much solace in the gloom and mist here. Songs like "An Immaculate Conception'' or "Heartburn" hover like a mist of tears, the latter coming close to the lofty territory Felt inhabited. Other more uptempo songs seek to cut through the fog with serrated guitar strings and tom-toms that are clubbed to the breaking point. "Testament" pulses like an open wound that was likely caused by Caesar slashing at his guitar, "Patrol" darkly grinds over insistent drum patterns, and "Judas" comes close to being danceable, though it's a little too depressing to inspire much movement unless you're just pulling a blanket over your head. The song that best blends the moodiness and forward motion is "Favour." With some luck, it could have been a hit with its pleasing guitar jangle, sneaky hook, and propulsive drumming. The album definitely captures a very specific mood and does it in exciting ways that are never (too) derivative. The Wake may have been working with an established template, but Caesar's vision, the emotional impact of his songs, and the fantastic amounts of energy the band put in, all combine to make it a sterling example of a sound instead of a group of imitators. [Along with the bonus tracks that appeared on previous editions of the album -- namely their first single from 1981, three songs from a radio session, the excellent "Somewhere Outside"/"Host" single that came out after the album found the band taking a huge leap forward -- the CD edition of the 2022 reissue of Harmony comes with a bonus disc of demos and live tracks recorded during 1981 and 1982 that were discovered in the archive of New Order manager Rob Gretton. The demos from 1981 show a band already in full command of their vision, cranking out hooky tracks that jump out of the speakers with youthful verve. Both "Move with the Times" and "Communion" would have made fine singles, they are on par with anything on Harmony. The live tracks sound surprisingly well-recorded -- rough around the edges and bassy, but not to the point of distraction. The two later demos show the band in better command of their sound, as does the live track from 1983, "Company." Though the tracks were included previously as an extra on the Testament (Best Of) collection, they are better paired with Harmony and make this the edition of the record the one to seek out.] ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	12/22/2002
Label:	Factory Benelux
UPC:	0708527220139
Rank:	61333

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Wake   Primary Artist
Joe Donelly   Bass

Technical Credits

Joe Donnelly   Composer
The Wake   Producer,Cover Design,Composer
Paul Slattery   Photography
James Kay   Cover Design
Robert Gillespie   Composer
Steven Allen   Group Member
Phil Stannard   Engineer
Oz McCormick   Producer
Wilf Smarties   Producer
Carolyn Allen   Composer,Group Member
Barry Andrew   Producer
Stuart Pickering   Engineer
Alexa Caesar   Liner Notes,Group Member
Steve Allen   Composer
Bobby Gillespie   Group Member
Chris Nagle   Producer