PRESS & REVIEWS
"Wess Meets West labels its own music as “defiantly optimistic,” which is as good a description as anything I can come up with. There’s another pretty good word for it, too: “beautiful,” in an unabashed, even romantic way. For all its complexity, Wess Meets West’s music is always emotionally direct, honest, and engaging. It’s music for taking a long trip in a fast car to a part of the country you’ve never seen, for standing on a high peak — even, dare I say it, for falling in love, like you can only at the end of summer." - Brian Slattery
Wess Meets West is a defiantly optimistic instrumental rock/metal band which began 10 years ago as the project of lead guitarist Sam Stauff. They originated as a singer-less outfit but over time have introduced sparse vocals to guide themes and boost the dynamic presence of certain songs. As they’ve evolved, Wess Meets West have incorporated electronic samples to brighten and expand texture and provide a denser backdrop upon which to shred, breakdown and groove. The result is a flood of constantly shifting melodies that are connected by fluid motifs. - Audiotree
True to the band’s form, “Direct Experience” eschews the melancholia and slow-burn that sometimes characterize post-rock artists, instead delivering a bright, upbeat take on the form that focuses on swells of emotional uplift. As the dual guitars of Sam Stauff and Nick Robinson meticulously craft layers of melody, the rhythm section of bassist Erick Alfisi and drummer Andy Porta expertly build tension, working themselves toward crescendo in multiple instances, only to wisely pull back. The patience they display in the track’s first half does a great service to the climactic rush, which soars in a way few post-rock tracks have in recent memory. It’s a true embarrassment of riches; captivating melodies and riffs intertwining and galloping toward a finish line I suspect most listeners will wish they could hold off on arriving at for a while longer. “Direct Experience” is but a taste of the grandeur that A Light Within The Fracture holds in store for listeners, but – for now – it will certainly more than suffice. - David Zeidler - Heavy Blog Is Heavy
Cathartic, intelligent and passionate, Wess Meets West are a band full with the spirit of audacity, demonstrating a confidence to tackle an enduring scale that most bands—of any level—would be discouraged to dirty their hands with. - PunkOnline UK
As recent single, ‘Direct Experience’, showed, Wess Meets West have the ability to gently grab your attention and pull you in with each note. Having played alongside emo/post-rock standouts such as The Appleseed Cast, This Will Destroy You, and Caspian, a visit to the UK/Europe is also in the pipeline. Be prepared to be taken on a breathtaking and cathartic musical journey. - Already Heard
Even those who are familiar with Wess Meets West might be taken aback: “Temporary Galaxies” is a breathtaking piece of work from the New Haven post-rock band and easily stands as one of the band’s top epics. Appropriately titled, the song evokes the elemental grandiosity of the cosmos. In three distinct phases, the band creates and collides very worlds with their music, tracing the birth of spectral entities with shimmering synths, powerful guitar intricacies, and a breathtaking finale of universal decay. - CT Scramble
"Hailing from New Haven, CT this quartet channels the grandiose soundscapes of EITS and the dynamic contrasts & tempo shifts of And So I Watch You From Afar in equal measure. Birthed from a studio project of guitarist Sam Stauff in 2005, the group’s discography has featured several full-lengths and extended plays that showcase a steadily solidifying lineup and a consistently honed sound." - The Alternate Frequency
"Wess Meets West make beautiful noise without the aid of vocals—just two guitars, a bass and drums—but there’s no reason to call this post-rock. Since forming in 2005, the band has released four longish EPs and collaborated with John Nolan of Taking Back Sunday." - Kristen Hill, Paste Magazine
"Wess Meets West has atmosphere in droves: When they reach a layered, guitar-wailing, cymbal-crashing climax... They're epic tunes, moving through several passages and creating plenty of space-rocking drama." - Brian LaRue, New Haven Advocate
"Wess Meets West is one of those groups that must be witnessed live. Cathartic, intelligent, and more passionate than most" - Dan Verner
"Many of their songs are emotionally uplifting and full of courage." - Timpy
"It (Wess Meets West "Chevaliers") gave me the feeling of a nation collapsing and empires falling." - Sound Congnition
"Wess Meets West exceeds any three piece band expectations to produce passionate rhythmic elements, deep emotion and a seriously genuine feel." - Monica Lyons. CTINDIE
"Wess Meets West, who offer all the orchestration of Explosions in the Sky...The music goes beyond anthemic -- it soars, it crescendos, it breaks the wall of sound. When they interacted with one another onstage, it was to recharge themselves for the next onslaught" - www.CTINDIE.com
"Huge epic indie quasi-metal in the vein of Russian Circles. There were a few moments when the band appeared as though it could force a crescendo through pure energy." - Hartford Advocate
"Wess Meets West builds cathartic crescendos into each song, but they manage to breathe life into them and convey overwhelming emotion with each percussive explosion... With great structure and an adventurous sound, Chevaliers is the best genuine post-rock record of 2011" - Lewis and His Blog
"it's pretty clear that the band is aiming for unfiltered, pure emotion here, but it has the songwriting chops to back it up and a heart of gold to fuel it." - The Silent Ballet
