191400-the-bruised-reed-leave-the-light-on-this-is-wrong-audio

The Bruised Reed – “Leave the Light On” / “This is Wrong” (audio)

Detroit husband-wife duo release contrasting pair of songs showcasing their aggressive and serene sides.

Detroit’s the Bruised Reed is a band of polarities. A husband and wife duo composed of Kirsten and Josh Wheeler, the former handles vocal duties, the latter the instrumental side of their sonic concoctions. Their tunes reside in the diametrically opposed realms of slowcore/dream pop and incendiary rock. How apropos, then, that latest release Doubles Vol. 1. is a two-song endeavor — the first in a series of double-deckers planned for 2015 — putting these dynamics front and center. Think of the release as a sampler platter of all they have to offer.

First on the two-sided coin is “Leave the Light On”, a chugging, guitar-centric slice of grunge that conjures some light through the grime. Offsetting the sludginess of Josh’s pulverizing bass and spindly guitar lines is Kirsten’s voice. Sultry and predatory in the verses, her low tones morph into a commanding holler in the empowered chorus as she sings, “You better run / You better run and leave the light on”.

That tune’s partner, “This Is Wrong”, shows a marked contrast. Kirsten’s vocals have a vulnerable and angelic quality as the music enwraps her like a warm, velvet coat, detonating with some of Josh’s frenetic guitar work at 3:15. Ambient and swaying, it sounds like the work of an entirely different band. That meeting point of the fragile and aggressive exemplified in the cuts’ pairing stands as the Bruised Reed’s strongest and most compelling attribute.

Doubles Vol. 1, released on 3 March, is available for download on the group’s Bandcamp page.