Constantly impressive work from the pop-art duo The Waeve should come as no surprise now. In just a few tracks, Over and Over is the latest, the duo has proven their quality. Not the biggest surprise then that the slower, compelling tones of Over and Over have struck through with such a defiant feel of comfort. That pairs nicely for Graham Coxon and Rose Elinor Dougall, whose beat-driven, saxophone charms are as striking as ever on their latest single. Another lengthy titan from the pair makes for a delightful listen that acts as a compelling form of instrumental experimentation. Each track has offered that up, but The Waeve have capitalised that with new waves of quality on Over and Over.
Relaxing qualities are certainly at the core of Over and Over, a change of pace to the vaguely threatening previous singles. Defiant and pushing through with some incredible layering, the technical side to Over and Over is a beautiful creation. Loud and bombastic, but gives that achingly good guitar solo a chance to breathe. Hints of saxophone and a steady drumbeat push the track to that monumental conclusion, a piece that feels like it would be well placed on a recent Arctic Monkeys album. Charming to say the least, and the interplay between Coxon and Dougall, who share vocal responsibilities here, is a major success for the pair.
Coasting through with some immediate qualities, a slow build, a rising bit of quality cut short by a drum beat that pushes the track further and further, Over and Over is likely the best single of the bunch. The Waeve have saved the best until last, crucially and accidentally. As moving a piece this is, much of it feels inherently sobering and it is that momentum that carries the six-minute experience like no other. Key to those qualities is the lyrics, close enough to reality to mark a sincerity to the mood, art-pop-oriented enough to feel lucid and explorative. That is the key balance The Waeve have picked up on, and it shows, rather clearly, on Over and Over. Plucky and intense, the guitar solo that wraps the end of that Over and Over climax is a high The Waeve have thankfully bottled up for their listeners.
Quality is clearly at the core of The Waeve and their work, but the consistency that has pushed through on each of their singles makes this super group-like duo a real, interesting beast. Coxon and Dougall have struck through with the likes of Blur and The Pipettes in the past, but The Waeve feels different to their group work and far away from their solo careers also. It is that unique defiance which carries them across as an almost veteran newcomer to the genre, an art-pop necessity that has seen such a flow of quality come through from the duo. The Waeve are on to something, and that much is clear on Over and Over, a track as defiant as it is clustered with quality instrumentals and flowing, soft lyrical ambitions.
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