‘NAZ/My Will’ by The Wharves (Single)

The Wharves: Marion Andrau’s totemic drumming with Gemma Fleet and Dearbhla Minogue’s characteristic vocals

A double A-side which manages to bring together a plethora of different influences and still sound completely authentic and original

Hailing from Ireland, France and England, The Wharves bring together elements of folk, psych, choral and rock music, suggesting that it’s not only their hometowns which differ. Their new double A-side of NAZ and My Will was funded by PRS’ Women Make Music grant and features a choir made up of their friends and family.

NAZ opens with Marion Andrau’s totemic drumming before Gemma Fleet and Dearbhla Minogue’s characteristic vocals take over, accompanied by an explosion of noise. There is a tribal quality to the song as it ebbs and flows, struggling (and succeeding) to contain the band’s disparate influences. My Will feels like a feudal relic that has been reinvigorated for modern ears. It’s impossible not to imagine necromancers dancing round a fire as the chanting reaches a crescendo, ably assisted by the legions of followers singing along.

These two songs are a triumph of invention and creativity. They manage to perform the magical trick of sounding as if they’ve always existed whilst also being truly unique to their creators. With new album Electa due out next year, it’s a great time to discover just how remarkable The Wharves are.

Verdict: Magic-infused modern folk

Duncan Haskell

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.