Wonderlick – ‘Wonderlick Goes to War’ [Album Review]

Indie-rock duo Wonderlick, aka Jay Blumenfield and Tim Quirk, releases their fifth album, Wonderlick Goes to War, a collection of songs exploring the highs and lows of humankind.

The album was produced by Dave Trumflo, a member of Pulsars and the Mekons, who has worked with Wilco and Built to Spill. Trumflo was recruited to join the project.

Singer/lyricist Tim Quirk explains, “I wanted ‘Vinko Bogataj’ to sound like a Pulsars song, but we couldn’t quite get the rhythm tracks right. I was Facebook friends with Dave, so I sent him a message asking if he’d be up for spending a weekend in the studio with us. I sent him a link to our last LP, ‘Undisciplined,’ and he wrote back really quickly, ‘SONGS!!!’ So I knew we’d get along.”

Wonderlick’s inadvertent genesis occurred when the pair recorded a song to put on the website of their dormant band Too Much Joy. Calling themselves Wonderlick, a name borrowed from Don DeLillo’s novel, Great Jones Street, they put the song on the website as a free download, along with a PayPal tip jar. They made more money from the tip jar than they’d made from the entirety of their time on the Warner Brothers label.

Inspired, they began writing and recording one Wonderlick song per month. In 2002, Wonderlick dropped their self-titled debut album.

High points on the album include “Vinko Bogota,” with a deliciously pulsating rhythm and lustrous, wavering harmonic layers. Tight vocals, almost clipped, imbue the clever lyrics with tasty, rolling, sing-song flavors.

A personal favorite because of its drifting flow and haunting lyrics, “Popping Pills” summons up feelings of loneliness and isolation. Sparkling accents add to the deserted sensation of the melody.

Wonderlick, photo courtesy Wonderlick

Darker and more resonant, “Rhinoceros” features mobile, dramatic vocals, at times tense yet exaggerated by passionate inflections. For some reason, “My Love’s a Weapon” summons up memories of Lou Reed gone a bit country-bluesy. High-pitched, sleazy vocal harmonies infuse the tune with a sense of emotional regret.

“My love’s a weapon / But don’t feel threatened.”

Another favorite because of its pop-rock mood, “Wag Your Tail” narrates a fun method of throwing off stress and anxiety. “Wag your tail / Shake your butt / Let’s just go fucking nuts / All our problems can wait till Monday morning.”

Tinted with savors of pop and new wave, “Origin Story” bubbles with infectious energy, riding pushing percussion topped by a luscious, fat, floppy bassline and glittering guitars.

Wry lyrics and innovative indie-rock textures burnished by pop patinas give Wonderlick Goes to War a jaunty, unique sound.

Wonderlick Goes to War Track Listing:

1. Niagara Falls, 1969
2. Vinko Bogotaj
3. I Am a Children’s Book
4. Popping Pills
5. Hollow Bodies
6. Rhinoceros
7. Museum of the Inquisition
8. My Love’s a Weapon
9. Wag Your Tail
10. Reading a Loved One’s Mind
11. Origin Story

Run Time: 43:21
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Record Label: People Still Suck Music