Asheville, North Carolina-native band Wednesday released one of the best records of 2021 with the spellbinding Twin Plagues, an indie masterpiece that amazingly melded together heavy shoegaze with a vulnerable twang to form a perfectly off-kilter sound. Today, they’re back with a haunting 8-minute ripper called “Bull Believer,” as well as the announcement that they’ve signed to the Bloomington, Indiana-based label Dead Oceans.
“Bull Believer” sticks to Wednesday’s signature sound; it’s drenched in reverb and bandleader Karly Hartzman’s vocals are hypnotic, somehow simultaneously fragile and strong. Despite its length, it doesn’t drag on or lose the listener’s attention for even a second. It ends with Hartzman’s bone-chilling screams, which have even more willpower than Phoebe Bridgers’ in “I Know The End” or Alex G’s in “Runner” (not that it’s a competition).
“This song is an excuse for me to scream on stage, an outlet for the anger and sadness that has been collected by the current and past versions of myself,” said Hartzman in a statement. “An offering to myself of a brief moment of release from being tolerant of the cruelty of life: feels like cutting my hair to let go of the history it holds.”
Watch the video for “Bull Believer” above.