Words by Giliann Karon
Last week, Asheville-based band Wednesday announced their forthcoming debut album Rat Saw God, accompanied by the release of the single “Chosen to Deserve,” an unorthodox blend of sunny country and ethereal shoegaze.
“We always started by tellin' all our best stories first," croons Karly Hartzman. Through twangy guitar and acerbic vocals, she reflects on her Southern upbringing with anecdotes of car sex and an accidental Benadryl overdose. Rather than pathologizing, Hartzman acknowledges these events and sends them on their way. Fuzzy drums push her rich storytelling to the forefront, only to be jolted forward by fiery guitar riffs.
“‘Chosen to Deserve’ is a writing exercise I gave myself to try to recreate the iconic song by Drive-By Truckers ‘Let There Be Rock’ but with my own experiences from growing up and fucking around and getting into stupid shit,” wrote Harzman in a press release. “The video directed by Spencer Kelly shows the setting of my upbringing and antics: my parents' neighborhood in Greensboro, North Carolina and Lake Myers RV Resort."
Rat Saw God - TRACKLISTING
01 Hot Grass Smell 02 Bull Believer 03 Got Shocked 04 Formula One 05 Chosen to Deserve 06 Bath County 07 Quarry 08 Turkey Vultures 09 What’s So Funny 10 TV in the Gas Pump