Wheat preview

Wheat
Empty Bottle, Chicago
Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Despite a plethora of avenues to utilize when releasing new music, bands still envision getting signed to a major label as the epitome of tangible success. But what happens when the major label dream comes to fruition, yet peters out in a pale glow of disappointment? The tale is common enough. And, sometimes, the musicians in question return from the boxing match better off.

For Wheat, things looked dismal before reaching the light at the end of the tunnel. Formed in 1997 in Taunton, Massachusetts by art students Scott Levesque (vocals, guitar) and Brendan Harney (drums), Wheat released two albums, 1997’s Medeiros and 1999’s Hope And Adams, before jumping to the Aware home of John Mayer, which resulted in 2003’s mediocre Per Second, Per Second, Per Second . . . Every Second.

Guitarist Ricky Brennan left the band and Wheat’s future looked sketchy at best. Instead of calling it quits, Levesque and Harney found they couldn’t bear to let their collaborative partnership walk off into the sunset; so they did what they do best on their own timetable and without any outside influences or pressures.

The result of this freedom comes in the form of Everyday I Said A Prayer For Kathy And Made A One Inch Square. Obviously the band spent a lot of time studying up on Belle & Sebastian album titles to put that one together. Unfortunately, Wheat’s outpouring didn’t take more cues from the Scottish collective. The album, save for a few tracks (the one-man round in “Little White Dove,” the aural delicateness of “Closeness”) is aimless and downtrodden, but not in the achingly beautiful way that inexplicably heals. And unless you’re Henry Rollins, leave the spoken word at home (“An Exhausted Fixer”).

But, it’s still good to have them back.

Arwin and Ned Collette are the opening bands.

— Janine Schaults

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly