Wild Flag – Wild Flag

The latest noteworthy outfit to emerge from the US Pacific Northwest are something of a supergroup, combining members of Sleater-Kinney, Helium, Quasi and the Minders. With both Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals) and Janet Weiss (drums) present, it’s unsurprising that Sleater-Kinney’s angular, twin-guitar take on indie rock is the most obvious reference point. Wild Flag, however, recalls that outfit’s less adventurous early output, eschewing the wild squalls of their last LP.

This is a series of driving, energetic pieces which illustrate the depth of talent present, without succumbing to the aesthetic incoherence that often taints such collaborations. The sound is embellished with Rebecca Cole’s 60s-style organ playing, which both complements and restrains the guitars in equal measure. Wild Flag is essentially the sound of four musicians seeking to escape the limitations of their day jobs: what it lacks in ambition being more than compensated for by an endearing sense of fun and immediacy. [Sam Wiseman]