Wizards are Real: “Clamander”
If the world worked how I imagine it should, Poliça would be opening the First Ave Mainroom for Wizards are Real on Valentine’s Day. Instead, Wizards are Real—an instrumental quartet of saxophone (alternating tenor and baritone), pedal steel, and a rock backline—will probably be playing their hearts out at a dusky bar for a cadre of die-hards. This the blessing/curse for instrumental groups, especially those that don’t adopt a dynamic post-rock song structure. If you’re not rockingthefuckoutliketheapocalypse, the prevailing sentiment goes, then you’re pretentious or non-committal. Well, I’m a die-hard and I’ll hang out in the instrumental ghetto any night of the week, no matter how late.
Wizards are Real are preparing to release a new EP called I’m Your Free Lieutenant. Compared to the band’s self-titled debut, Free Lieutenant is a fusion of blues and garage, held together with a patina of brassy Americana. It features “Expert,” a Neutral Milk Hotelified barn-burner (and one of my favorite tracks to see live), as well as three other sawdusty jams. You can stream or download “Clamander” below.
The EP is set to drop . . . erm, soonish? The best answer is probably eventually. Until then, you can catch Wizards are Real tomorrow at the Cedar Cultural Center opening the night for Gay Witch Abortion, Kill the Vultures (hell yes!), and The Book of Right On.
“Clamander” by Wizards are Real
—Will Wlizlo (@willwlizlo)
