Plus Ultra

For their debut album, Chappaqua Wrestling knew that they wanted to step above the noise of the concrete everyday. To match their songs about political despondency and social change, Jake Mac and Charlie Woods wanted to create surrealist artwork, teetering on the brink of despair and release.

Capturing a wide array of political issues, it manages to plumb social lows while also conjuring up a feeling of hope, mirroring the open-faced bravery of its titular inspiration. Roughly translating to “Nothing Lies Beyond’, Ne Plus Ultra was a phrase that used to be marked on old-world maps, often dissuading rookie explorers from bothering to sail out. As time went on, some bolder folk took it as a personal challenge, craving fresh perspective from long-avoided waters.

Though Chappaqua Wrestling are big on lyrics, they approach their sonic arrangements with equal diligence, adding buoyancy to their valiant seafaring expeditions. As kids, both Mac and Woods were heavily inspired by the rallying hooks of Thin Lizzy and the Beach Boys; though these influences are now less audibly obvious, they still guide the kind of “pretty” melodies that the duo aim for. “If someone was to listen to us for 30 seconds, they’d say we were a rock band,” says Jake. “But we’re never going to define a song with a weird guitar pedal or a crazy arpeggiator. I don’t think there’s any song on the album, no matter how heavy and grungy it gets, that can’t also be played on piano.”