Wizard Rifle - Speak Loud Say Nothing

By Natalie Zina Walschots. After two years of making strange sounds together, Portland, OR's Wizard Rifle have released their debut album, Speak Loud Say Nothing. An example of a successful hybrid that's much greater than the sum of its parts

By Natalie Zina Walschots. Originally published by Exclaim.

Photo by Justine Murphy at Photic Photographic

After two years of making strange sounds together, Portland, OR's Wizard Rifle have released their debut album, Speak Loud Say Nothing. An example of a successful hybrid that's much greater than the sum of its parts, the record combines nimble, noodling math rock guitar playing and songwriting with comfortably fuzzy, broken-in sludge tones.

Wizard Rifle utilize the best from both of these influences. The guitar playing is supple and sophisticated, falling over itself with the swooping, precise grace of a trapeze artist. The tone of the album is warm and woolly, preventing the more technical aspects from becoming too cold. The choral vocals are organic and effective, especially the shouted, cacophonous chanting of the chorus on "Tears Won't Soften Steel."

An album that both challenges and comforts, Speak Loud Say Nothing combines a warm, tuneful aesthetic with some seriously skillful instrumentation.