Wednesday’s Rat Saw God is a 37-minute collision of shoegaze noise, alt-country twang, and grunge that feels both chaotic and tightly wound. The band is doing something specific: making the mundane, lonely corners of small-town Southern life feel enormous. It works. This is a record that sounds like a car speeding down a dirt road with the windows down, blasting static and steel guitar.
Opening With “Hot Rotten Grass Smell”
The album starts with “Hot Rotten Grass Smell,” a brief instrumental that sets a humid, uneasy tone. It’s a quick inhale before the storm.
“Bull Believer” is the centerpiece, a sprawling epic that builds from a slow, almost conversational crawl into a screaming, feedback-drenched climax. The vocal performance is unhinged in the best way, and the song’s final stretch is pure catharsis. It’s the track critics keep circling, and rightly so.
The Middle Stretch
“Got Shocked” is a tight, short burst of grunge energy. It’s a quick jolt that doesn’t overstay its welcome, a reminder that Wednesday can be direct when they want to be.
“Formula One” follows with a more melodic approach, but it’s a slight step down from the tracks around it. It’s not weak, just less distinctive in a lineup full of strong personalities.
“Chosen to Deserve” is where the album’s emotional core lands. The song pairs darkly funny lyrics with a soaring, almost anthemic chorus. It’s a portrait of someone trying to find worth in a place that offers little, and it’s one of the most empathetic moments on the record.
“Bath County” shifts gears into a more country-leaning sound. The twang is front and center, and the song’s quiet sadness is a welcome change of pace after the noise of the first half.
“Quarry” and “What’s So Funny”
“Quarry” is brooding and slow-burning, a dark stretch that holds the album’s tension in place.
“What’s So Funny” comes next in the tracklist, a brief, punk-adjacent number that feels like a palate cleanser. It’s fine, but it’s more about momentum than substance.
“Turkey Vultures” follows and picks the pace back up with a driving rhythm and some of the most vivid imagery on the record. It earned its spot in the critical conversation, as did “Quarry.”
The closer, “TV in the Gas Pump,” is a perfect ending. It’s a small, strange observation — the kind of detail that could only come from a specific place and time — turned into a tender, melancholic song. It sums up the album’s whole approach: finding poetry in the overlooked.
What the Noise Means
What makes Rat Saw God work is how it ties its noise to its subject matter. The distortion isn’t just for show; it’s the sound of frustration, of boredom, of wanting to scream in a town where nothing happens. The country elements aren’t ironic either. They’re sincere, grounding the record in a real, recognizable America.
The lyrics are the glue. The writing is clear-eyed, never mocking, never romanticizing. The humor is dark, but it’s never cruel. This is a record about people, and it treats them with dignity.
The production keeps everything raw but clear. The guitars can be overwhelming, but they never bury the vocals. The balance is careful.
The Critical Response
There’s a reason the critical consensus landed near-unanimous. Rat Saw God does exactly what it sets out to do, and it does it with confidence. It’s noisy, rangy, and deeply humane. It’s the kind of album that makes you want to drive somewhere empty and just listen.
“Wednesday’s noisy, rangy sound finds a home in the quiet, lonely corners of America. Their outstanding new album is why they’re one of the best indie rock bands around.” — Pitchfork
The album doesn’t try to be a masterpiece. It just is one, on its own terms. It’s a record about surviving, about finding beauty in ugly places, and about the people who make those places bearable. It’s also just a great rock album, full stop.
- Album: Rat Saw God by Wednesday
- Release: 2023
- Tracks: 10
- Running time: 37 minutes
- Metacritic: 89/100
Rat Saw God is a hard record to shake. It gets under your skin and stays there. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s beautiful. It’s one of the best indie rock albums of its year, and it’s the sound of a band at the peak of its powers.
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- Hot Rotten Grass Smell1:35
- Bull Believer8:31
- Got Shocked2:19
- Formula One2:53
- Chosen to Deserve5:32
- Bath County3:10
- Quarry4:08
- Turkey Vultures4:06
- Whats So Funny2:32
- TV in the Gas Pump2:23
