Ball of Wax 43 Songs: Fen Wik Ren – Witch in the Grass

Fen Wik Ren is the latest musical moniker of now-Portland-based R. Ren (known to some of us as Ryan) Barrett, who not too long ago led the well-regarded Seattle-based band The Pica Beats. “Witch in the Grass” is a throbbing, psych-leaning song soaked in reverb and phaser. It has a nervous, galloping beat that’s almost dance-ey and mysterious lyrics (when I can make them out through the heavy delay) along the lines of “there are things I would do for love / there are things I would do for hate” and “everybody hopes that you lost your mind / just a little bit.” It’s more melodic and vocal-based than a lot of the psych-revival stuff going around but laced with a bit too much D&D foreboding (I definitely made out the phrase “the demon’s feet”) to classify as straight ahead indie pop. Fans of Barrett’s early work or the late period Sunset Rubdown will find a lot to like about “Witch in the Grass.”