Wafflehouse is the brainchild of bassist
Sean Clancy and
Mike Majewski, two boyhood friends who wished to create music unlike the standard-issue mainstream sewage they encountered.
Olympia dares to question the very fundamentals of songwriting, as it is nearly impossible to sort verses from choruses, and if there's a bridge hidden amongst the scattered ideas present here, it is buried beneath cascading melodies and math rock madness. It should be noted that although Darin Ficorelli is listed as the lead vocalist, every single member offers his voice for added effect, making the point of having a lead singer quite irrelevant. The songs on here are reminiscent of the likes of
At the Drive-In and
Boy Hits Car, yet only in textures and certain vocal enunciations, as
Wafflehouse never fully develops one idea before whisking away to another out of this world time change or vocal screech. The symphonies of sound these five men have created are shockingly beautiful, especially the orchestral strings used in "Sometimes It Works." While much of the album requires a very patient soul to listen to, its noisy art is delectable and thoroughly entertaining. Few bands could pull off this unconventional musical format, yet
Wafflehouse seems to know exactly where they wish to take their band, and
Olympia is quite an effort from one of the scene's most invigorating young groups.