The Wytches: Talking Machine
(Alcopop)
LP | DL
Out now
The Wytches return with an album that shifts through smoke, winding through ghostly garage-psych songs that reach out in search of intimacy.
On their new album, The Wytches have taken their mix of gothic garage-psych and created an album that shifts shapes through smoke. It feels instantly intimate yet ethereal, as though we are privy to something that should stay hidden. The way they slowly build the songs, taking the time to contemplate each moment, draws you in, almost whispering in your ear. Back in 2014, on their debut album, they were already adding their own unique touches to old flavours. A decade on, their sound has become more expansive, hushed and subtle moments providing us a sense of calm that could give way at any moment, crash beneath our feet. Unsure as to whether we are floating or falling, the overall effect is hypnotic as they move between more urgent attacks and soothing balms.
Kicking off with the title track, the first shot rolls on a mid-pace beat, an increasing build of fuzz that engulfs, but never overpowers. Beneath, but coming through, is a wonderful bass line that, along with the tight yet sparse drums, provides a foundation for the atmosphere crafted by dense guitars and the modulated vocals of singer Kristian Bell. It sets the scene expertly for them to fall into early-album highlight Black Ice. An intense twist on sixties psych cut through a proto-punk filter, 1965 Kinks covered by The Cannibals in a heady smoke-filled bar, the song is instant in grabbing you, dragging you into what is still to come.
Where the barrage may continue on songs like Coffin Nails, the band slowly start to morph, each track seemingly shifting 10 degrees, slowly turning to something more dreamlike. By the time they reach wonderful Is The World Too Old?. Shorn of their sonics, reduced to a simple acoustic guitar over slow beats, the song becomes something all the more intimate, fragile and cracked, something to cherish. It epitomises the almost black and white contrast of the album’s two sides, the band making a conscious choice to track the album as such.
Nothing To See comes out of this and into a brooding darkness, still contemplative in its focus before When The Obsession Began takes hold. Taking its time to permeate your skin, the trudging rhythm recalls moments of Mark Lanegan, the gothic touch always looking through the night in search of a crack of light.
As we reach the end, the guitars and stripped away, the drums laid to rest. Eerie strings eek out over a plaintive piano on Romance. Shorn of the fuzz, Bell’s voice is finally laid bare, a search for some form of truth revealed. It is an end that slowly lays you back down, your thoughts long lost in the music, the end of a record that is probably their most accomplished to date.
The Wytches are on tour now.
15/10/2025 – Hare and Hounds, Birmingham, UK
17/10/2025 – The Bodega, Nottingham, UK
22/10/2025 – Night and Day, Manchester, UK
24/10/2025 – FutureYard, Birkenhead, UK
25/10/2025 – The Fulford Arms, York, UK
28/10/2025 – Cluny, Newcastle, UK
29/10/2025 – Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow, UK
30/10/2025 – Sneaky Petes, Edinburgh, UK
05/11/2025 – Dust, Brighton, UK
06/11/2025 – The Garage, London, UK
11/11/2025 – Point Ephemere, Paris, France
12/11/2025 – Buhmann&Sonn, Cologne, Germany
14/11/2025 – Merkeyn, Nijmegen, Netherlands
15/11/2025 – (Tough Enough Festival) Botanique, Brussels, Belgium
16/11/2025 – Molotow (Downstairs), Hamburg, Germany
18/11/2025 – Neue Zukunft, Berlin, Germany
Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
~
Words by Nathan Whittle. Find his Louder Than War archive here.
A Plea From Louder Than War
Louder Than War is run by a small but dedicated independent team, and we rely on the small amount of money we generate to keep the site running smoothly. Any money we do get is not lining the pockets of oligarchs or mad-cap billionaires dictating what our journalists are allowed to think and write, or hungry shareholders. We know times are tough, and we want to continue bringing you news on the most interesting releases, the latest gigs and anything else that tickles our fancy. We are not driven by profit, just pure enthusiasm for a scene that each and every one of us is passionate about.
To us, music and culture are eveything, without them, our very souls shrivel and die. We do not charge artists for the exposure we give them and to many, what we do is absolutely vital. Subscribing to one of our paid tiers takes just a minute, and each sign-up makes a huge impact, helping to keep the flame of independent music burning! Please click the button below to help.
John Robb – Editor in Chief
Leave a Reply