Seraphina Lotkhamnga on February 17th, 2011

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When it comes to storytelling about human relationships, Baltimore duo Wye Oak is often in the running for a gold medal with their unflinchingly personal shoegaze-inspired folk melodies. Their highly anticipated third album “Civilian” is beyond poignant, with Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack moving the spotlight onto bonds that are breaking. The tender title track reveals how powerful and beautiful the subject of loneliness can be, with Wasner singing “Perfectly able to hold my own hand / But I still can’t kiss my own neck.” The song has its appropriately quiet folk beginnings, but it soon expands into a frenzy of guitar, drums and organ underneath vocals that exponentially grow stronger. Produced by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Sheerwater, the Thermals), “Civilian” is set for release on March 8 via Merge.

||| Download: “Civilian”

||| Live: Wye Oak plays March 24 at the Echo.

Photo by Natasha Tylea