With "Bleeds," the North Carolina rock band presents a thrilling collection of their narratively dense Southern rock, which—like the most captivating moments in their discography—sensitively explores the link between curiosity and confession. "Bleeds" is a patchwork triumph of literary allusions and outlaw grit, of site-specific poetry and hair-raising noise. Karly Hartzman—founder, frontwoman, and primary lyricist of the band—attributes WEDNESDAY's solidified identity to their time spent working together on previous albums, as well as a touring schedule that was both rewarding and relentless. "Bleeds is the spiritual successor to Rat Saw God and, in my opinion, the quintessential 'Wednesday Creek Rock' album," says Hartzman, expressing satisfaction with the way her band has refined and refined their signature trademark sound, making them one of the most interesting rock bands of their generation. "This is what Wednesday songs should sound like," she explains. "We've spent a lot of our lives figuring that out—and I feel like we've done it here." Like "Rat Saw God," one of the most important rock records of the 2020s, "Bleeds" was created at Drop of Sun in Asheville and produced by Alex Farrar, who has been recording with the band since "Twin Plagues." Hartzman again brought demos into the studio, where she and her bandmates—Xandy Chelmis (lap steel, pedal steel), Alan Miller (drums), Ethan Baechtold (bass, piano), and Jake "MJ" Lenderman (guitar)—teamed up to imbue the compositions with just the right amount of country truth, indie-pop hooks, and sludge noise. More than ever before, the precise proportions were driven by the lyricism—not just the tone or themes, but also the actual sound of the words, as well as Hartzman's masterfully subjective approach to choosing the details.