Wednesday - Bleeds

2025 • DEAD OCEANS • ALT COUNTRY / GRUNGE

88/100

Despite its widespread critical acclaim, Wednesday’s 2023 LP, Rat Saw God, did not immediately click with me. Since then, however, I’ve become a big fan of the band as I’ve come to appreciate the outputs of its individual members (most notably alt-country slack-rock lord MJ Lenderman). When their sixth LP, Bleeds—out today on Dead Oceans—was announced earlier this year, it immediately became one of my most anticipated records of the year. The wildly catchy lead single, “Elderberry Wine” (which dropped alongside the album announcement), quickly made its way into heavy rotation. I will not be at all surprised if it’s one of my most-streamed songs at the end of the year.

Having now heard the album in full (including a live-streamed debut of “Wasp,” which frontwoman Karly Hartzman revealed live on Hotline TNT’s 24-hour stream last week), I am pleased to report that Bleeds more than lives up to the anticipation I’ve built up for it over the past several months. Compared to the sound of Rat Saw God, the twelve tracks on Bleeds are (seemingly) more accessible and, perhaps, more reflective of the various influences that inspired its members (vocalist/guitarist Karly Hartzman, guitarist Jake “MJ” Lenderman, bassist Ethan Baechtold, multi-instrumentalist Xandy Chelmis, and drummer Alan Miller).

Don’t think, however, that this means Wednesday is any less forceful. Album opener “Reality TV Argument Bleeds” opens with a straight minute of grungy, heavy instrumental that eventually levels out into Hartzman’s vocals and a mean bassline [that evokes '90s alternative rock]. This instrumental harks back to the grungy heaviness present on Rat Saw God while also incorporating more of the alt-country sound revived of late primarily by Lenderman (who still records with Wednesday but, for the most part, no longer tours with them).

The instrumentation across Bleeds is undeniably solid—as expected—but what really elevates the album are Hartzman’s incredibly evocative lyrics, which will undoubtedly require multiple listens. The situations about which she sings are easy to imagine, and the scenes she illustrates across the record are easy to picture yourself in. Additionally deserving of praise are her vocals, which waver between energetic, high-pitched warbling and an alt-country drawl in a way that evokes Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan.

Aside from the handful of tracks I didn’t immediately love, I have two main criticisms of Bleeds. Although I’m sure a ton goes into this, I fear that the decision to release the album so late in the year will ultimately do it a disservice, as it competes amid a crowded field of great albums (both those that have already been released and those that are still forthcoming).

My other criticism of the record—the track listing—is ultimately meaningless, as it’s something that listeners can easily rectify. Although Bleeds can probably best be described as an indie rock or alt-country album, it’s very sonically diverse and hard to categorize. The variety of sounds across the album means that you’re often swinging back and forth from straight rippers (“Reality TV Argument Bleeds,” “Candy Breath,” “Wasp”) to more mellow, contemplative ballads (“Elderberry Wine,” “Bitter Everyday,” “Carolina Murder Suicide”). This is by no means a bad thing (and kudos to Wednesday for sneakily including a total sonic departure, the frenetic, hardcore-tinged “Wasp,” in the final four tracks of the album), but I think I ultimately would’ve appreciated a more thoughtful ordering of the songs on the record. The abrupt ending of album closer “Gary’s II,” though a touching tribute from Hartzman to a departed mentor and friend, audibly made me go, “woah, that’s it?”

Ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed Bleeds and fully expect to include it in my Top 10 releases of the year. The standout tracks it spawned (“Townies,” “The Way Love Goes,” “Candy Breath,” “Pick Up That Knife,” “Wasp,” “Bitter Everyday”) will undoubtedly make their way into heavy rotation just as “Elderberry Wine” did. Is it weird that I want to learn pedal steel now?

NBA COMP: OG ANUNOBY

A quiet, still external facade that erupts with defensive intensity and erratic behavior, even having a propensity to grab the mic when wanting to be heard.