Wake - A Romantic Pop Shooting Star

The story of Wake is a long and troubled one, dotted with sporadic releases marked by unthinkable stylistic shifts, evidence of the band's versatility and of the project's intrinsic worth.

They formed in 1981 in a cold Glasgow, founded by Caesar (vocals and guitar), Steven Allen (drums), and Joe Donnely (bass). Caesar, among other things, had briefly been a member of Altered Images before deciding to leave them and devote himself heart and soul to his new band, whose name is a reference to James Joyce's "Finnegan's Wake".

The band releases a self-produced single consisting of two tracks: "On Our Honeymoon", breezy in feel and technically quite naive, and "Give Up", which sounds like a concentrate of Cure (the guitar) and a sparser Tuxedomoon (keyboard), on which the keyboard is played by their friend Gillespie. The future singer of Primal Scream will soon replace Donnely on bass, and around the same time Steven Allen's sister, Carolyn, will join the band on keyboards, branding the "The Wake" sound with fire.

Despite modest sales, this self-produced 7-inch will turn out to be the key that lets the band sign a contract with Factory, a prelude to the release of Harmony in October '82, a mini-LP made up of seven tracks which, in the Factory Benelux edition, is enriched with an additional track: "Change". It opens with "Judas", a track with a funereal, oppressive rhythm, in which Caesar immediately reveals his unease, discoursing on friendships and betrayals. A sudden acceleration, a sudden glimmer of light, and we're in "Testament". But with "Patrol" we fall back into atmospheres of bleak despair. The synth reigns unchallenged. The bass disappears, as does the drum kit, supplanted by a drum machine: an incredible track that recalls Suicide. In "The Old Men", the spirit of Ian Curtis and co. looms large; a track that wouldn't have looked out of place in the Mancunians' discography, with a hysterical, stinging guitar over a leaden, percussive sky. "Favour" is a bolt from the blue, a track in the most classic New Order style (as Dave McCullough, journalist for The Sound, once put it), which breaks through with an elementary yet penetrating guitar arpeggio, joined by a hammering, full-on Joy Division-style drum and a pulsing, almost funky bass: a track that gets into your head and never leaves, while Caesar repeatedly sings "All around you". This will ultimately prove to be the poppiest track of the bunch. "An Immaculate Conception" opens with prominent keyboards, painting backdrops of bleak urbanity; the drums become more discreet, almost restrained, while the bass never stops pounding the air, saturating it, until the final outburst where the guitar reeks of spectral psychedelia. A track of searing lyricism.

Brought to Factory by the then-manager of New Order, Robert Gretton, who had been favourably struck by their songwriting quality, the Wake would go on to support New Order themselves on tour the following year, 1983.

And riding the wave of enthusiasm sparked by that tour, they recorded a Peel Session for BBC radio, during which they played three tracks: "The Drill", "Uniform" and "Here Comes Everybody" — a superlative song that would go on to give its name to their next album, built around a suspended synth and an emphatic Caesar, singing almost as if he were Kaspel of the Legendary Pink Dots; it's a track that could have been pulled straight out of the hat of the early Sad Lovers And Giants.

Afterwards, a maxi-single appeared on Factory Benelux containing "Something Outside", a nostalgic pop song in which a harmonica also makes an appearance, and "Host", a track with the pull of a cybernetic mantra in which, for the first time, Carolyn's voice can be heard clearly — a voice that would go on to feature prominently later. This would be the last time good old Gillespie played bass with the band (he'd be replaced by Alex MacPherson), leaving him free to devote himself to Primal Scream.

The Wake of this period can be seen as the perfect crossing of early A Certain Ratio, Joy Division and New Order, influences skilfully reworked.

1984 is a transitional year in which the single "Talk About The Past" is released, featuring Vini Reilly on piano, but which also sees the departure of MacPherson — though not before he contributed bass parts to the band's long-awaited second album, "Here Comes Everybody", which wouldn't see the light of day until 1985.

On Here Comes Everybody the mood shifts considerably, moving from stark wave to romantic pop. Here Caesar sings with far more conviction, whereas before his vocals came across as monotone and listless; incidentally, the way he pitches his voice is strikingly close to Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys, and to Lawrence of Felt. This record contains absolute gems such as the opening "O Pamela" and the following "Send Them Away", two tear-jerking, deeply emotional songs — impossible to remain unmoved. The opening section of "Send Them Away" closely recalls the early Breathless. A defining trait of this record is the prominence of the synth, which is truly the star of the show, and it's precisely the omnipresence of this instrument that gives the work its romantic glow. Behind this choice probably lies the band's desire to break free from the constant, uncomfortable comparisons to Joy Division.

Another absolute high point is the title track, a song in the style of And Also The Trees, with a simply gorgeous guitar line conversing with the keyboards. Two years would pass before the Wake followed up Here Comes Everybody, and they did so with the release of the EP "Something No-One Else Could Bring". The moods conjured by the band are the same as on its illustrious predecessor: sublime romantic pop. One track stands above the rest: "Furious Sea". But by then their relationship with Factory, who were pushing for a shift toward more dance-oriented sounds, had already soured, and the EP's poor sales would lead the Wake to Sarah Records.

For the label run by Matt Haynes and Clare Wadd, a single was released, "Crush The Flowers", followed two years later by their third album: Make It Loud. And it's an instant gut-punch. Opening the record is the gorgeous "English Rain": it's the Wake's own "Dreams Never End", a song that makes you dance while you cry. The rest of the album bears the mark of the atmosphere of the time (we're talking about the shoegaze scene here). A thoroughly enjoyable record with a very "British-pop oriented" sound, full of irresistible melodies spiced with soft psychedelia, see "Glider" and "Firestone Tyres". With "American Grotto" we're in the territory of the most carefree and melancholic pop.

Felt, with all their tenderness, are just around the corner. And the magical, vibrant guitar of "Holy Head" brings to mind the best of the Smiths. Another high point of the record is the closing "Cheer Up Ferdinand", a song fit to get guests dancing at a dark-wave party. With an irresistible female voice (Carolyn, the keyboardist), an electronic beat that creeps in, and guitar that rhythmically paints the world in dreams. Sweet, velvety, crepuscular pop that warms the heart and makes the soul tremble.

More than three years would pass before the Wake, now down to just two members — Caesar and Carolyn — followed up Make It Loud. Years spent partly on tour with other bands on the Sarah roster.

Their bond with the Field Mice would be close, but especially with the Orchids; Matthew Drummond and James Moody in fact took part in the recording sessions for both albums released under the Bristol label's banner. "Tidal Wave Of Hype" opens with a track of pure Spiritualized-Primal Scream descent. The emphatic vocal delivery recalls Pearce's.

The sound grows ever more psychedelic. The album retains that romantic glow. The keyboards are well balanced by the guitars ("Crasher"). On a gorgeous track like "I Told You So", a harmonica pops up, lending a melancholic touch to what is otherwise a perfect, sugary hit. "Britain" is another great pop song, with a pumping bass, dreamy liquid keyboards and an irresistible chorus. It almost sounds like listening to Saint Etienne... "Back Of Beyond" is an instrumental with keyboards worthy of "Blade Runner", epic and nostalgic.

A great band deserving to be loved without preconceptions or prejudice; but with the demise of Sarah Records, the Wake too would inevitably slip into undeserved obscurity. Hopefully awaiting their rediscovery, however belated.

After collaborating with Robert Wratten on the Occasional Keepers project, the Wake return after eighteen years to put out new material. And it's one of those comebacks you don't see coming.

A Light Far Out comes together as a multifaceted carousel of songs, odds and ends of previously released material, uniting everything the Wake were able to express both in their very early post-punk years at Factory and in their indie-pop swan song on Sarah. A book that reveals, through a luminous whirl, the genuineness and charm of a band that has always held the shared secret of the song, pure and simple.

And it always has, because although the years have gone by, the magic remains the same as when they seduced listeners with heavyweight tracks like "O Pamela" and "Carbrain". Produced by Cameron Duncan, who has already worked with Teenage Fanclub, and Iann Catt, producer of Saint Etienne and countless other Bob Wratten projects, A Light Far Out gathers, within its dreamy, hazy atmospheres, oneiric visions that hover deep within the soul, between breath and heartbeat.

Influenced by the collaborations with Bob, the sound has shifted towards atmospheres charged with fluorescence more in line with Northern Picture Library and Trembling Blue Stars than with a bare, raw rehash of their old work, and "If The Raven Leave", already released on "True North" with the Occasional Keepers, is a case in point, evidence of a shift that nonetheless loses none of its emotional legacy.

The closing, more uptempo "The Sands" brings to an end a journey of discovery of a band that seems to have won over more admirers today than it ever had back in the days of Factory and Sarah. A distant light, which luckily for us has never been so close, in the hope that this light and the Wake's wonderful story are not over yet.

Contributions by Luca Pasi for "A Light Far Out".

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google