<p><span><span>- When one Googles the band name Wavves , the predictive text doesn’t take long to come up with the word “controversy”. This comes down to mercurial frontman <strong>Nathan Phillips</strong>, whose own appearance on the internet is largely comprised of incendiary media quotes, along with reports of altercations, breakdowns, label stoushes and depression. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>With such a reputation preceding him, it’s often surprising when one puts a Wavves record on and hears lo-fi, yet traditionally well-crafted guitar pop, with references pointing to surf music and punk rock - hardly a powder keg of provocation. To new album <em>Hideaway</em>, you can add power-pop to that list, with bigwig producer <strong>Dave Sitek</strong> stepping back from some of his studio trickery in favour of a clean but unfussy “band in a room” sound. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Don’t be fooled by the abstract art sleeve which could conceivably house anything from an <strong>Oh Sees</strong> LP to a vaporwave release – this is straight-ahead melodic guitar pop, albeit with some spiky, confessional lyricism.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Tunes such as <em>Thru Hell</em> are as emotional as their titles suggest, Williams seeking to rebut the court of opinion through a combination of defiance and wounded vulnerability. It’s an anxiety that sounds at odds with the ramshackle slacker music and noise pop we have come to expect from Wavves and yet it is in keeping with both Phillips’ turbulent time in the public eye and the stresses each of us have faced from 2020 onwards.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The album also occasionally wanders from its hook-laden, up-tempo roots with the electro-ballad <em>Caviar</em>, Phillips la-la-ing over a doowop backing as an organ drone, tinkling xylophone and vintage synths add colour to the arrangement. There’s a chugging country quality to <em>The Blame</em> that could soundtrack the hypnotic precision of a steam train in motion, Williams’ laid-back vocal surprisingly effective alongside the music’s <strong>Johnny Cash</strong> chug. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Elsewhere, echoes of other guitar traditions can be found – the quiet/loud <strong>Weezer</strong>-isms of <em>Planting A Garden </em>reveal this, while the pop punk gruffness of <em>Thru Hell</em> wouldn’t be out of place on a <strong>Green Day </strong>record. <em>Help Is On The Way</em> is perhaps the catchiest song on offer with a simple, rewarding hook and the confident stomp of <strong>Sloan</strong> or <strong>Red Kross</strong>. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Long-term fans may not find tunes as immediately appealing as their 2010 anthem <em>King Of The Beach</em>, but ultimately we get what we get – a straight-forward indie rock record in 2021. Whether or not that is enough anymore is up to the audience but, for what it’s worth, <em>Hideaway </em>will provide a satisfying refuge for those looking for something simple and relatable in an increasingly complex and alien world.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>- Matt Thrower.</span></span></p>
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