He brings to you the power of his slithering eel voice, drenched in teenage bravado and sensitivity. He slinks along, gathers steam, strikes, and retreats. Wicked Man makes his silent appearance. Though a simple person, Berkeley-based songwriter Yonatan Tietz’s uniqueness lies in the subtle tease, the unselfconsciousness of both listener and musician that speaks to a suburban, midnight-hour insomnia that many have indeed felt before. Completing the ensemble are Matt Fisher-Keller playing bass and keyboards and Nick Blossom playing drums.
The musicianship is not virtuosic by any means, nor does this record intend for it to be. It is an open letter, written on the paper rolls of a traveller, a quiet beckoning towards the unattainable. The three songs on The Fingership EP give exactly what they should. “Solitude” introduces a conflicted introvert shunning the disdain of domestic routine in favor of something larger than himself.
Cautious though he may be, he is driven by the will to continue. “We Are Near” is an intimate trap-door that turns uncertainty into something worth fighting for. Shades of turquoise fall into the cracks between his words. He finds comfort in leaving the mundane. “Selfish Indeed” sets itself apart both in tempo and intensity from the surrounding material. He breaks from the traditional method of self-deprecating lyrics, instead choosing to let his words flow like a stream of consciousness declaration. He turns on the listener, confides, then chides-himself included. Slippery eel has done his job, turned you on. –Justin Kohlberg
The band is currently on a tour of the Pacific Northwest through September, and their EP is available through www.wicked-man.com and wickedman.bandcamp.com.