Music
The Waeve, a project led by blur’s Graham Coxon and singer-songwriter Rose Elinor Dougall is a fascinating melting pot of genres, their 2023 debut album signalling a departure from the sound of the pair’s earlier work and earning them acclaim. The Waeve now returns with their second LP ‘City Lights’ promising a similar blend of styles.
The title track kicks things off in emphatic fashion with Coxon showing his prowess, unfurling some impressive riffs before the pair’s vocals come in. There is a post-punk feel about it, bolstered by their harmonies. Coxon may not have been blur’s lead vocalist but he shows on The Waeve how strong his vocals are in their own right. The second half of the track lets him cut loose with the saxophone as well, showing his skill as a multi-instrumentalist.
‘You Saw’, places Dougall’s vocals more front and centre, a slighter smoother sound than the opener, it gradually brings additional elements into the foreground with Coxon’s solos jostling for attention with the vocals. It is a successful marriage and really captures what makes their sound so effective and different from blur.
‘Moth To The Flame’ also puts the sax at its epicentre and as with much of the album has an unpredictable feel to it but is driven by vigorous energy, it is sure to be a live favourite with its propulsive bassline. Again the harmonies stand out.
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‘I Belong To’ is more purposefully built around the pair’s vocals, almost an electronic folk track, showing the influence of folk acts that the pair have cited. You can hear how comfortable they are together on this track as they take their influences and meld them into something wholly their own.
‘Simple Days’ continues in this vein with Dougall’s vocals spellbinding, buoyed by Coxon’s guitar work with acoustics and slides in the background, bringing some luscious sounds. ‘Broken Boys’ is a complete 180 with far more angst and punk on display, a different band in some regards showing how effortlessly they can shift gears.
‘Girl of The Endless Night’ is one of the most gorgeous tracks the group has put out to date, built around acoustic guitars, saxophone and the pair’s vocals it is transcendent and has a real warmth to it. ‘Closer Sunrise’, coming in at just under seven minutes, is an epic that really captures all the disparate elements that make The Waeve, almost prog-rock in its ambition, sounding like some of The Smile’s more recent work.
‘City Lights’ is another towering achievement for The Waeve showing how well Graham Coxon and Rose Elinor Dougall combine and the breadth of their musical talents. It is an unpredictable and highly eclectic listen packed full of depth and textures making this a must listen.
8/10
Words: Christopher Connor
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