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Published on 9/26/08
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Maxwell’s; Mar 27, 2008
In the ’90s and early ’00s, Chuck Cleaver led the Ass Ponys, a perennially undervalued Cincinnati band that showcased the singer’s literate, slightly wicked lyrics. In his current quartet, Wussy, Cleaver continues in this vein, accompanied by a worthy foil: fellow singer and guitarist Lisa Walker. Cleaver is a miniaturist whose songs capture vast sentiment through small strokes: “ ‘Light My Fire’ always playing on the radio,” he sings in “Trail of Sadness,” from Wussy’s second album, Left for Dead (Shake It). “My desire always so afraid of letting go.” Walker, who handles the lion’s share of the new record’s lead duties, is more verbose. She is also louder. While Cleaver’s trembling, high-pitched voice seems unworldly emanating from his bulky frame, the small, bellowing Walker appears to be channeling a giant. These two musicians are not mere bandmates: They are trapped in one another’s bodies.
—Jay Ruttenberg
