Tween

Description

The word "tween" evokes a certain awkwardness, often perceived negatively. But one can also see in it the beauty of becoming, that of a state in transition. For Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, the two halves of Wye Oak, the tracks on *Tween* don't represent a step forward, but rather "a step sideways in time" — songs that simply didn't fit on the band's fifth album. *Tween* thus brings together magnificent tracks, set aside for reasons of timing or context, created by two artists at the peak of their art. We encounter ethereal flourishes à la Cocteau Twins ("If You Should See"), the intensity of the *Civilian* era ("No Dreaming"), and electronic textures with 80s accents ("On Luxury"). No track here is a forgotten offspring: on the contrary, *Tween* proves to be as accessible as it is audacious, a work of transition as luminous as it is masterful.