Wussy

Shake It Records

Cincinnati band Wussy are back with their first LP in six years. The aptly titled Cincinnati Ohio– out November on Shake It Records – is the first album from the five-piece since 2018’s What Heaven Is Like. Wussy are known among critics and their loyal fanbase for releasing albums of lyrically deft pop songs awash within a blanket of noise – a sound that critic Robert Christgau has described as “merging the Velvet Underground and the Flying Burrito Brothers” (SPIN, 2013). And it seems Cincinnati Ohio is no exception – punctuated with many of the familiar Wussy sounds: a jangly mix of electric and acoustic guitars; the dueling lead vocals of Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker; Joe Klug and Mark Messerly’s driving rhythm section; and warm rolling waves of pedal steel – this time split between late Wussy guitar player John Erhardt and newest member Travis Talbert. On Cincinnati Ohio, the band leans heavily into its penchant for cinematic Americana landscapes, drawing stylistic inspiration from influences such as Calexico, Mazzy Star, R.E.M., Sun Volt, and the Mekons (whose Jon Langford painted the album’s cover art). This Midwestern wall-of-sound method clearly works for Wussy, who according to The Ringer, has been “quietly crafting one of the great rock catalogs of the decade.”

Cincinnati Ohio comes out November 15th, along with two limited edition Wussy EPs: The Great Divide and Cellar Door.