"In most areas of my life, I struggle to express myself in a way that feels authentic and genuine. Music is a respite from that — it's the way I feel best equipped to share my voice with others."
Jenn Wasner, NPR
Wye Oak lead vocalist Jenn Wasner recently released "Semaphore", the lead track of her upcoming solo album (under the stage name of Flock of Dimes) If You See Me, Say Yes, which will be out on 23 September via Partisan. Wasner has explained that the lead track is about "communication over great distances - both literal, physical distance and the infinite space that exists between even the closest of people" (). Wasner is no stranger to abstract lyricism, and the semaphore - a telegraphy system conveying information at a distance by means of visual signals such as flags, rods and hand gestures - becomes an apt metaphor for the difficulty of conveying meaning to others.
Against a crystal-clear and expansive production, Wasner's strong vocals cuts across the chasm between separate minds and bodies to confidently communicate her sense of self and her vulnerabilities:
'I've no need for you to guess my age
I can tie my own laces
Find the solace I seek in other places
But I cannot need you more
Too far gone for the semaphore'
[...]
The sound I make can only go so far
Today the only thing that I can do
Is wait for you
And in this lingering uncertainty
The voice across the waves agrees with me'.
It is indeed the quiet voice that says it best, without pretension and guile.
