Album Review: Wildernesses - Growth
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
The first thing that strikes me when I heard a few of these tracks from London’s Wildernesses, was the sheer emotional weight they carry. The post-gaze band are offering something different, a time to pause and reflect, but one thing is certain, this album will see people wisely invest their time into this group.
The quartet have nine new tracks on debut album “Growth” and the title is apt, as you can sense the band growing with each song. With the busiest man in music, Pijn’s Joe Clayton at the helm, (does he ever sleep?) production wise, the album is rich in textured sounds that define the bands shape and depth. Instrumental opener “Sleepless” begins their odyssey, with a ghostly, haunting feel to it as the “band emerge as modern day folk chroniclers” with immersive and atmospheric soundscapes that pull you in emotionally.
Brought together in that post-pandemic dull, the four have weaved their rich personal tapestries into one with vocalist Philip Morris, a mental health professional, bringing their stories to life. “Happy Hollow” continues in a similar vein, slow and fragile, a song about escapism, and watching The X-Files on TV, closely followed by [dread], with its excellent bass line from Mark Portnoi, as a song which explores the dual narrative of anxiety.
The album examines different human experiences, displayed perfectly on “English Darkness” as it touches on the issues surrounding mental health but in the most poetic of ways. The composition is exemplary and sounds like a cinematic masterpiece, yet it’s emotional and intimate whilst being powerful at the same time. The atmospheric nature of the music is aided by Morris’s voice, which pierces through and on “Terrible Bloom”, which looks at forbidden desire, there appears to be a more minimalist approach, with another simple, yet brilliant bass line, leading the way.
I’m massively intrigued to see these live, as I keep thinking about what visuals will fit where, as my mind wanders all over the place. Delving into the world of domestic minutiae, “Maintenance” has a bigger overall sound, more forceful, as if it’s pushing you back against a wall, before releasing you. I love the instrumental nature of “Cassino” as they reflect on family heritage, however I feel it’s a bit too short, however, it does provide a welcome interlude.
“Four Hour Drive” explodes into life instantly, with a faster rhythm and is about a photograph from 1957 of Philip’s father and grandfather. It flows effortlessly against the haunting vocal with a dreamy and absorbing middle section, allowing your pensive thoughts to come to the forefront of your mind, before they end with “Summertime 1917”. It’s a song based on hidden love letters discovered during a house renovation and is a fitting end to an album that takes you on a journey of discovery and one which will see the name Wildernesses become a firm fixture in your mind.
