Wesley Wolfe: Cynics Need Love Too

If you're friends with me, you know I've been singing Wesley Wolfe's praise ever since his music entered my radar a few years ago. The Carrboro, NC songwriter by day, bartender by night is one of the Triangle's pop geniuses. he's been busy learning how to cut his own vinyl records using a home lathe and teaching himself to use protools while recording his fantastic new album Cynics Need Love Too.

Wesley kind of defies comparison, while still retaining a huge sense of familiarity, which I think is why it's o easy to find yourself humming his simple catchy melodies throughout the day (at least, that's been my experience). He melds nineties rock with sixties pop, swelling with bittersweet hooks, in a super non-douchey way. There's no false swooning or crooning; rather, a tasteful use of slapback reverb on his double-tracked vocals which are sung matter-of-factly. There's no fashiony, style over substance bullshite that has become so popular these days in his concise pop tunes.

SO now that I've blabbed on and on about what his music is not, I will try and explain what it is, to me at least. It's honest, humble, rad music that makes me happy and sad and makes my skin tingle and the hair on my arms stand up on end. The way Wes crafts a song, you can tell he thinks about it all day and night, and probably has a few sleepless nights tossing and turning with the perfect chorus melody he can't get off his mind. Maybe? Or maybe this comes easy for him? Either way, there's a sensibility on his records and a craft that is very rare (in The Triangle and beyond). Just listen to this song and you'll see what I mean. Right now it's an album standout for me (I'm on my 3rd listen today)



Then there's his brilliant way with words. I think everyone can relate to the line "Itʼs only because Iʼm fond of you. Iʼm constantly thinking that I bother you" from the song Paused In Time.




Listen to Wesley's music and buy his albums (last year's Storage was excellent as well), because you can be sure it's a labor of love for him. His efforts have truly paid off with his latest release, yielding a delightfully crafted, somewhat more hi-fi record that will stick with you. Check out everything you need to know here: http://wesleywolfe.com/ and here: http://www.odessarecords.com/artists/ww/