SONG REVIEW: Wednesday - "Elderberry Wine"
Hard times, easy Americana listening.
Much like indie compatriots Black Country, New Road, the members of Wednesday have gone through plenty of unexpected change. Frontwoman Karly Hartzman and bandmate/burgeoning indie star MJ Lenderman broke up last year, and Lenderman said he won’t tour with the band anymore (though he’ll still contribute to studio recordings). But if “Elderberry Wine” is any indication, the quintet is ready to emerge like the phoenix reborn from these personal struggles, just like BCNR did earlier this year. Hartzman’s performance is remarkably clearheaded for how muddled her thoughts are; she reckons with memories of her Lenderman romance with CBD and champagne. It’s melancholic to hear her beautiful harmonies with Lenderman around the song’s chorus; they sing of a cure-all elderberry wine, but we know this romance probably can’t be healed. “Elderberry Wine” is southern comfort for times that are hard to handle, sounding polished as hell when the feelings are anything but.
Verdict: Hard Times/10
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