New Words for Old Wounds by William Ryan Fritch (Review)

William Ryan Fritch is an artist whose name I’ve heard many times but whom I’ve never actually listened to… until New Words for Old Wounds, that is. Fritch’s latest features vocal contributions from the likes of Powerdove, Ceschi, and DM Stith (who gives a particularly affecting performance on “Awake”). However, it’s largely a solo affair, with Fritch creating elaborate and incredibly dense arrangements that draw from orchestral, folk, and electronic music, and may require four or five listens to peel back all of the layers.

At times whimsical and folksy, and at other times dark and overwhelming — like Rhian Sheehan run through the wringer by Ben Frost, or Damien Jurado switching producers from Richard Swift to Tim Hecker — New Words for Old Wounds is a constant feast for the ears, but not one that is simply placed before you to consume. “Cataclysm” and “After” are good examples of this; both songs are ever-growing cacophonies that nevertheless prove to be captivating listens. Fritch et al’s fragile vocals and lyrics — e.g., “All your love and all your trust and fears/I want you all, I want you whole/I want you all” (“Entirety”) — lend warmth to the music, but by no means is this an album that one enters lightly.