We’ve known The Wave Pictures for over twenty years as idiosyncratic slacker rockers with a completely unique sound, and their latest long-player Gained / Lost fits seamlessly into that vein: loose, cultured, and glowing with the joy of three musicians locked deep in their own language. David Tattersall’s songs unfold like half-remembered dreams set to virtuoso guitars that shimmer and sting in equal measure. The sung childhood snapshots, neighborly observations, and fragments of self complement the photo collage on the cover (a nod to the Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main St).

The eleven new songs feel inspired and original in every way, and even when a riff or beat reminds you of something else (You’re My Patient Now mirrors Wild Thing), unexpected turns quickly throw you off-track. Be sure to listen to the exuberant opener Alice (influenced by My Education: A Book of Dreams by William S. Burroughs) and the melancholic ballad Faded Wave Pictures T-Shirt (amazing storytelling, amazing melodies) to get a sense of the album’s richness. Its vocals, structures, and lyrics don’t really fit the rock idiom, but that’s exactly what makes this trio one of Britain’s most fascinating cult bands.

Gained / Lost—recorded by Jim Riley—is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl LP, through Bella Union. Featuring David Tattersall (guitar, lead vocals), Franic Rozycki (bass), and Jonny Helm (drums).

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