I have been quite crazy about the Wrens latest album, “Meadowlands”. The band has been on a hiatus for over 5 years and I was overjoyed to hear that they were actually going to play live, considering the album is over 2 years old. First off, the album is an intense, emotional, and dark masterpiece. The songs are complex and on further listens offers up more sonic nuances. Every time I listen to album it conjures up emotions of loss and turmoil, which must reflect the tumultuous years the band had undergone those previous years since their last.
I had no idea what to expect from them live. These guys are in their late 30’s and wasn’t sure if they were going to rock like in ages past. The sold out show at Bowery was filled with fans, young and old. There was a lot of energy in the room waiting for them to come out. They took the stage with a hearty applause. They proceeded to play through the songs of Meadowlands with more passion and tension than on the recording. The band was so intense gaining more and more momentum as the night went on. They did several instrument switches and vocal arrangements to capture the variety of musical styles found on the album.
I was so impressed. I left the show with that feeling of witnessing a grand event. Truly a great night and hopefully the beginning of more from this stellar band. You’ll find it hard to remove the album from your player and you just HAVE TO see them live to really capture their musical power.