I’ve been listening to The Wit all day, and there is really no better way to spend a freezing cold Saturday, when the wind is literally howling both outside and in through my windows. It started after I belatedly realised they’d released a new single entitled ‘Illusions of Candor’, and that’s given me an excuse to listen to their entire back catalogue again, which has been an absolute joy.
I’m happy to admit that some of my music tastes are slightly offbeat sometimes, not everyone likes Major Parkinson, and there are even those who, would you believe, don’t entirely get Cardiacs yet. But Norwegian band The Wit are surely liked by everyone, at least everyone who I've forced to listen to them anyway, because that back catalogue is just a delightful mix of irresistible indie pop (‘If You Ain’t Got Nothing to Do’), melodic indie songwriting (‘Apple Trees’) and some darker stuff too (‘The Art of Indulging in Reminiscence’).
Anyway enough of my own reminiscing, because new song ‘Illusions of Candor’ takes them heading slightly towards that darker indie direction I referenced, but there’s still that typically ‘Wittish’ laid back melodic feel, although this time accompanied by menacing guitars, which steer themselves finally towards an epic guitar solo, and a hint of psychedelia toward the end.
Lyrically the track relates to “the parasitically powertripping sychophant praising the oppressive master” (blimey) and the lyrics are certainly interesting: “Absolution paranoia / self-righteous to the bone / self pity and self hatred / ascending to the throne”. Wow, I’ve been in meetings like that - but not NMR editorial meetings obviously, because as you might have guessed, we just don’t have them.
It’s quite lovely to have them back. Hopefully there’s an EP or Album on the way, because they really are the ultimate hidden gem of a band.
'Illusions of Candor' appears to be part of an excellent vinyl compilation initiated and curated by Jørgen Myhr Stokke (hats off to you sir), featuring 6 bands we've featured in NMR and 4 which I'll be listening to tomorrow. We can all order the vinyl here.