New Release: Bleeds by Wednesday (Dead Oceans)

The highly anticipated sixth studio album by Asheville, North Carolina, alt-rock band Wednesday has arrived, and it’s spectacular. The band’s sound is often described as a blend of alt-country and Shoegaze. If you’re unsure what such strange bedfellows might sound like, Bleeds is your chance to find out. Singer and songwriter Karly Hartzman delivers, showcasing vocals that are at once lamentable, blissful, and intense.

Track one, “Reality TV Argument Bleeds,” gently introduces listeners to a brilliant collection of songs. The track slowly builds to a crescendo with grungy guitars and a pounding rhythm section. All along, Hartzman’s voice grounds the sound with its perfect balance. “Townies” tells the story of returning home to “catch up when I’m around.” Guitarist MJ Lenderman responds to Hartzman’s heartbreaking lyrics with deafening guitar fuzz. This dynamic may reflect the couple’s breakup during recording.

Hartzman names Drive-By Truckers and Lucinda Williams as her songwriting influences. The band’s Southern Gothic style could be seen as a mix of the Truckers and, for example, Waxahatchee. Patterson Hood has called Wednesday his favorite band in public statements.

“Elderberry Wine” is a top-notch addition to Bleeds and may just be the band’s calling card. Hartzman’s powers of observation are an asset to her songwriting. She manages to describe places, events, and memories with precise details – something most take for granted and may barely appreciate. Lines like, “the pink boiled eggs stay afloat in the brine,” could leave one unaffected sitting at the bar, but Hartzman puts a finer point on it.

Originally featured on 2021’s Guttering, “Phish Pepsi” has been updated with Hartzman and Lenderman harmonizing over a terrific pedal steel from Xandy Chelmis and marching drums by Alan Miller. A hysterical take on days gone by. “We watched a phish concert and Human Centipede / Two things I now wish I had never seen / We smoked weed out of a Pepsi can / Lyin’ around under a Christmas tree.”

“Pick Up That Knife” is a beauty that kicks off like a peaceful drive through rural North Carolina, then hitting 80 down the on ramp with a sonic blast from Lenderman’s guitar. Hartzman sings, “When you pick up that knife you are askin for a fight / Mouthed off to those bikers at a vacant stop light,” you wanna jump in to help. The song wraps with the singer shouting, “They’ll meet you outside / They’ll meet you outside!” Bleeding into the next song, “Wasp,” Hartzman screams of being stung in a near death metal rant. It’s short and loud, not unlike that sting.

Possibly commenting on the recent breakup, “Bitter Everyday” is a burner of a song with Hartzman wailing, “It’s just like swimming through a cold spot in the lake / And the sweetest parts of life keep getting bitter every day” while Lenderman’s guitar gasps for oxygen. A true hit song, whatever that means in 2025. Rounding out the collective of this oh-so-tight band has Ethan Baechtold on bass and Jake Pugh on guitar.

The local Murdaugh family murders inspired “Carolina Murder Suicide” after Hartzman became enthralled with the story. Its gloomy and morbid rhetoric stemming from the point of view of a neighbor girl. Longtime friend and producer Alex Farrar is at the helm again, bringing out that true Wednesday sound at his Drop of Sun Studios. After the success of 2023’s Rat Saw God, the band has reached critical and commercial success with Bleeds.

As the fresh new sounds bleed through your speakers, be sure to hone in on those lyrics. It’s a mood-altering experience to be played loud. Check out Wednesday’s Bandcamp page to listen or purchase Bleeds and all their music.