Wye Oak have surprise-released a new collection of tracks entitled Tweens.
According to a press release, these eight tracks were written between 2011’s Civilian and 2014’s Shriek. As the release states, “to wedge them onto Shriek would’ve been dishonest; to orphan them would’ve been somewhere on the line between criminal and just plain silly.” The release compares Tweens to other famous B-sides collections like R.E.M.’s Dead Letter Office and The Who’s Odds and Sods.
The band refers to these songs as “not emblematic of a step forward, but a step sideways in time.” The album’s closer “Watching the Waiting” features a new music video that depicts singer Jenn Wasner’s struggles with self-image.
“This song is about learning how to understand and accept who I truly am, and present myself more honestly to the world, without any illusions or pretense. The truth is in the mirror, but it is also much, much deeper,” Wasner told Pitchfork.
Tweens is available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal and can be purchased digitally on iTunes or Google Play. A physical release is due via Merge on Aug. 5.
Watch the video for “Watching the Waiting” below, and beneath that, find Paste Cloud audio of the band performing in Nashville back in 2012.