Aeon Station

★★★

Observatory SUB POP. CD/DL/LP

After two decades of silent intrigue, a solo outing from The Wrens’ Kevin Whelan.

With 2003’s expansive The Meadowlands,

New Jersey alt-rockers The Wrens were poised for the kind of success soon nailed by their East Coast neighbours The War On Drugs, but there their progress regrettably stalled, amid contractual problems and a crisis of confidence. Ever painstaking creatively, they eventually mustered a follow-up in 2013, only for singer/guitarist Charles Bissell to halt release and spend another six years perfecting his contributions. Amid foreseeable tensions, bassist/songwriter Whelan has now split off with brother Greg (guitar) and Jerry MacDonald (drums) to ease his own compositional backlog on Observatory, its veritable rollercoaster of moods reflecting on the obvious frustrations, but also marriage, a short-lived relocation to Asia, and his autistic son. The highs of Fade, Queens and Better Love variously recall Arcade Fire and The Flaming Lips in euphoria mode, while the lows (Move; Hold On) plumb eerie depths akin to Big Star’s Third. Alpine Drive closes, mercifully, with hard-won Christmassy joy.