Weep

Before you spend too much time wondering about it, yes, the Doc Hammer in Weep is, in fact, that Doc Hammer, the co-writer of The Venture Brothers. What you may not know is that Doc is also a bit of a renaissance man, who is not only a writer, but also a painter and a musician with an ear for that most melancholic of music, dark wave. Which brings us to Weep and their latest album, Worn Thin. With layered, wistful vocals and spacey synthesizers, Weep pays tribute to the bands that have helped to shape the genre while delivering an experience that is uniquely theirs.
The songs have a lushness to them that makes the album deceptively easy to get lost in. “Snow Scenery” opens the album with thick, almost shoegazey guitars that push the song forward while Hammer’s gravely, layered vocals bubble up around you from all sides. “A Reminder” is another warm, textural experience that swells up slowly, starting with an underwater sounding bass line and building the song piece by piece until it becomes this drifting, atmospheric thing. That feeling is reproduced on “Calm Down,” where a gently repetitive guitar and sweeping synths create a serene, floating feeling.

As a surprise, there are also a couple of covers. The band lends their ethereal sound to Jesus Jones’ “Right Here, Right Now,” delivering a version of the song that manages to be faithful to the original while adding Weep’s own twist to it. More surprising is the cover of Rihanna’s “Shut Up and Drive” (which itself has a very strong New Order vibe to it). While the lyrics don’t exactly mesh with Weep’s dense sound, they play the song without irony and do their best with what they’ve got to work with.

As an album, Worn Thin is an incredibly rich and warm listening experience that feels tailor made for those cold Fall days. If you stumbled upon this album because it had Doc Hammer’s name attached to it, then consider yourself lucky. For everyone else out there, just sit back and let Weep wrap you in a blanket of lush, synthy goodness. - Revolt

Before you spend too much time wondering about it, yes, the Doc Hammer in Weep is, in fact, that Doc Hammer, the co-writer of The Venture Brothers. What you may not know is that Doc is also a bit of a renaissance man, who is not only a writer, but also a painter and a musician with an ear for that most melancholic of music, dark wave. Which brings us to Weep and their latest album, Worn Thin. With layered, wistful vocals and spacey synthesizers, Weep pays tribute to the bands that have helped to shape the genre while delivering an experience that is uniquely theirs.
The songs have a lushness to them that makes the album deceptively easy to get lost in. “Snow Scenery” opens the album with thick, almost shoegazey guitars that push the song forward while Hammer’s gravely, layered vocals bubble up around you from all sides. “A Reminder” is another warm, textural experience that swells up slowly, starting with an underwater sounding bass line and building the song piece by piece until it becomes this drifting, atmospheric thing. That feeling is reproduced on “Calm Down,” where a gently repetitive guitar and sweeping synths create a serene, floating feeling.

As a surprise, there are also a couple of covers. The band lends their ethereal sound to Jesus Jones’ “Right Here, Right Now,” delivering a version of the song that manages to be faithful to the original while adding Weep’s own twist to it. More surprising is the cover of Rihanna’s “Shut Up and Drive” (which itself has a very strong New Order vibe to it). While the lyrics don’t exactly mesh with Weep’s dense sound, they play the song without irony and do their best with what they’ve got to work with.

As an album, Worn Thin is an incredibly rich and warm listening experience that feels tailor made for those cold Fall days. If you stumbled upon this album because it had Doc Hammer’s name attached to it, then consider yourself lucky. For everyone else out there, just sit back and let Weep wrap you in a blanket of lush, synthy goodness. - Revolt

The NYC-based Weep is led by Doc Hammer, ex-soundshaper for the late, lamented gothic folk rock duo Mors Syphilitica, though he’s likely best known as one of the creative minds behind the TV show The Venture Bros. Not that the latter has anything to do with the band’s second album Worn Thin. Instead, it sounds like Hammer created this record under the influence of several hours of 120 Minutes, circa the mid-‘80s. Echoes of thePsychedelic Furs, New Order, the Cure and more underground alternative rockers like the Comsat Angels and Cocteau Twins are everywhere. But they’re only echoes – Hammer’s vision may be overt about its influences, but this is no nostalgia trip. Ringing guitars, lush synth beds and soaring melodies evoke a certain era, but Hammer’s husky croon – barely above a mutter – subdues any note of melodrama. Besides, it’s songs like “Snow Scenery,” “Ever Shy” and “The Time I Thought That” that push the record into a timeless dimension where choruses invite accompaniment and pleasures are never guilty. - The Big Takeover

you may have thought that Weep was just a one hit wonder.

You were wrong.

Worn Thin is the new album from the band and it’s wonderful.

The first three songs are absolutely golden, beginning with the glorious rush of “Snow Scenery” and its superb synth melodies and even more subtle and spooky synth bits peeking in during the chorus. It’s the kind of song you adore immediately and which just improves with subsequent listenings.

“Let Me” continues the sensation of running through the woods that Siouxsie and The Banshees and The Cure captured so perfectly. It features another splendid synth melody that grabs hold of you and does not let go. The fade out ending is so enticing it makes the entire song better.

The arresting electronic drums at the beginning of “When I’m Wrong” sound even cooler when followed by twangy guitar and yes, electronic violins. The synth melodies are once again, stunning, and there is an instantly addictive chorus that somehow gets better the more you hear it.

One might think that in the midst of all this lush, exquisite beauty, Doc Hammer’s gravelly, robotic voice might seem anachronistic, but the contrapuntal effect is actually quite perfect. His singing is higher in the mix than it was on Never Ever and the songs are better for it.

“A Reminder” slows things down a bit, with a dreamy and romantic Cocteau Twins sensibility and poignant lyrics, while “The Time I Thought That” is heavier—even dirty-sounding—with fantastic percussion and feedback and guitars that push close to the edge of noodling (in a good way). It actually rocks, something I never thought I’d think about a Weep song.

“Over Now” and “Calm Down” are a bit slower, sounding more like the songs on Never Ever. Initially, they felt like a bit of a letdown after the first five tracks on this album. Yet they’ve grown on me; both songs are quite good, with the former evoking Disintegration-era Cure and finishing off with a grand symphonic ending and the latter showcasing some great guitar riffs and vocals.

There’s even a revamped remix of “Ever Shy” where its lovely acoustic guitar opening gets a bit more focus as the percussion drops out.

“Worn Thin” is something of a revelation, featuring an Adam and the Ants-style drumbeat and guitar with synthesized clarinet sounds. And “Interlude” is the most experimental-sounding music we’ve yet heard from Weep, with weird sonar waves pulsating through a thick sludge, almost like a creepier version of Japan’s “The Experience Of Swimming.” By the end it transforms into something almost approaching orchestral.

Worn Thin is compelling proof that Weep is not some group of hipster New Wave wannabes, but a band that deserves your attention. And definitely your love. - Popshifter

For obscure, probably yin yang related reasons, these days we don't stumble very often upon acts that - like Weep - are inspired by the sound of stylish acts like David Bowie, Roxy Music and Air. It seems like in this musical era the scruffy sound of DIY is WAY more - pardon my French - en vogue. But Weep isn't afraid of style - how passe`! But isn't passe` the future, really? Weep just release their debut CD "Worn Thin", check out some streaming songs here - When I'm Wrong in particular. - The Deli Magazine