REVIEW: Wayfarer – ‘The Albatross We Keep’

Artist: Wayfarer
Album: The Albatross We Keep
Genre: Folk-Rock
Label: N/A

When Dallas Green found massive success with City and Colour in 2008, post-hardcore vets started folk-inspired side projects in hopes of achieving that same kind of success while exploring elements not commonly accepted by the post-hardcore crowd. Wayfarer, the one-man indie rock act from Last Of The Believers’ Nik Piscitello is the most recent introduction to that crowd. While Wayfarer’s debut EP, The Albatross We Keep fits into the enjoyable folk-rock genre we’ve come to know and love over the years, there’s a good amount of promise to be found that could develop into a truly unique act.

On initial listens, redundancy prevents The Albatross We Keep from becoming an instant classic. There’s not much variation between most of the songs on the release, and after a few listens, the seemingly Coldplay-inspired sound grows a bit stale. It’s the lyrics that force repeat listens, and each song grows more endearing as the listener dives into the stories within. “Hello my broken heart, where have you been?” is the kind of lyric you’d expect to see tattooed on arms in bars across the America.

“Best and Worst,” the final song of the EP, is the true highlight and easily the strongest reason to come back for repeat listens. It starts off just like the other songs, with the usual acoustic, coffee-house-inspired style, but about halfway through, the song lets loose into a full-band jam that shows Piscitello’s post-hardcore roots. It’s unexpected and sets itself apart from the thousands of other singer-songwriters doing this style of music. The aggression and urgency in Piscitello’s voice in “Best and Worst” should be the focus of the whole EP, and should definitely be explored more in future releases.

Wayfarer’s debut EP should be consumed as a showing of promise rather than a self-contained musical accomplishment. The production could be better and the songs themselves drag at times, but the impressive lyrics and the distinguishable vocal style found in the last track are a winning combination. The Albatross We Keep isn’t necessarily groundbreaking or amazing, but it’s the first release from an artist that can only improve as he irons out the kinks.

SCORE: 6.5/10

Review written by John Bazley (Twitter)

John Bazley
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2 Responses to “REVIEW: Wayfarer – ‘The Albatross We Keep’”

  1. Christopher Renfrew says:

    Just an aside,
    Hot Water Music’s singers made side project Rumbleseat way back in ’98, with Chuck Ragan primarily continuing the charge in later years. I understand they weren’t a post-hardcore, but I feel like the punk bands from the 90’s started the folk revitalization (in addition: Avail’s Tim Barry, Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!, Jon Snodgrass of Drag the River, Jesse Malin of D Generation, Chris McCaughan of The Lawrence Arms). Just my $0.02!

  2. John Bazley says:

    You make a good point. I think this particular vein of hyper-confessional, sensitive folk/indie-rock was really popularized by Dallas/C&C, while Chuck Ragan’s solo stuff and the early Against Me! folk-punk strike a different chord. Thank you for the feedback! Definitely check this release out, I have a feeling that Wayfarer will only get better from here and his next output could be truly excellent.