Wild Nothing are not subtle. This may seem perplexing considering their frail breezy pop mannerisms and non threatening musings. It is in regards to their influences however, that they are not subtle; Even upon first exposure we are immediately aware of a somewhat obvious laundry list of groups that clearly steered Wild Nothing's thoughts and stylings throughout this album's genesis. It has the back room low fi playfulness of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (albeit less frenetic), the hazy distanced vocals of the Jesus Marry Chain, and the dreamy summertime heart of Beach House. This can be problematic as these influences are a little too present, in varying synthesis through Wild Nothing's debut LP, Gemini- the opening drum beat in “My Angel Lonely” is the exact same as “Just Like Honey”, for example. Is there a statute of limitations on this sort of thing? As a result the album sadly lacks distinction. It feels simply like a collection of b sides from any of their more established contemporaries. You don't really need to listen to this album to decide if you like it or not. Do you enjoy listening to any of the previously mentioned groups? Congratulations, you're a Wild Nothing fan. No? Well then, there's the door.
When the group does venture out of their comfort zone however, and leaves the cradle of their inspirations, they surprise you with something not only genuinely unique, but pretty good too. “Bored Games” takes a glossy guitar line and layers it with a bubbling yet anchoring mashed together drum machine/synth beat. Leisurely and fluttering keyboards punctuate the bass line in “The Witching Hour”, to wonderful effect. When Jack Tatum and crew are willing to toy with and reorient the dreary indie pop checklist of melodies and beats that have been cemented in our memories since the days of XTC, they breath new life into genre, if only for brief moments.
Jack Tatum's voice is certainly an asset, but he treads territory that has grown all too familiar in the indie anti-hipster scene. He is soft spoken, deliberately so, with a slightly lethargic swagger that carries only hints of anguish and malaise and remnants of memories. He is evocative and intriguing, yes; but did we really need to hear another echoing somber sub-falsetto? You can do this kind of music differently. You can wail and wear your heart on your sleeve without hiding behind a nonchalant demeanour- just ask Camera Obsura's Tracyanne Campbell. You can be lurchingly guttural like Beach House's Victoria Legrand.
Tatum seems passive aggressive and non committal in his lyrics- contradictory even. In the opening track, Tatum is evasive saying, “I'd rather live in dreams” and “I'm dying to let things go”. In the next track, “Summer Dreams” he instead searches for a more tangible sense of company, drafting plans to hide away with someone in the family cabin. Such sentiments are continued in “Bored Games”: “Where are you going? Can I come with you? I don't feel right without you”. Later on the album we wonders, “oh, if I could only get to you”. Yet almost immediately after in the chipper yet haunting “Chinatown”, Tatum testifies, “we're not happy till we're running away” Certainly such messages are inconsistent, but if the idea is to convey the excitement, anxiety, freedom, and trappings of trying to determine if you are better off alone or not, then he hits the mark. He concludes “Live in Dreams” by repeating, “we've got eyes in the back of our heads”- conveying that so much of what seems impossible to understand and act upon makes so much sense in hindsight. He may be caught up in nervous, adolescent, irrationality, but at least he realizes it. A nice touch.
Wild Nothing's talent and skill are readily apparent in Gemini- they are obviously equipped to handle the subject matter and tone they so effortlessly approach. But hearing so many other groups do it before them, for them even, saps much of the impact and implications from their work here. Regardless, Wild Nothing is a band I want to hear more of. The best parts of this album are when they break out of their shell and leave their own mark on indie rock. They just need to prove that there is something out there- in terms of melody, tone, and intent that they are uniquely equipped to harness. With more time and and a little more confidence I believe this band can produce something that does just that. I can't wait to hear it.
Jack Tatum's voice is certainly an asset, but he treads territory that has grown all too familiar in the indie anti-hipster scene. He is soft spoken, deliberately so, with a slightly lethargic swagger that carries only hints of anguish and malaise and remnants of memories. He is evocative and intriguing, yes; but did we really need to hear another echoing somber sub-falsetto? You can do this kind of music differently. You can wail and wear your heart on your sleeve without hiding behind a nonchalant demeanour- just ask Camera Obsura's Tracyanne Campbell. You can be lurchingly guttural like Beach House's Victoria Legrand.
Tatum seems passive aggressive and non committal in his lyrics- contradictory even. In the opening track, Tatum is evasive saying, “I'd rather live in dreams” and “I'm dying to let things go”. In the next track, “Summer Dreams” he instead searches for a more tangible sense of company, drafting plans to hide away with someone in the family cabin. Such sentiments are continued in “Bored Games”: “Where are you going? Can I come with you? I don't feel right without you”. Later on the album we wonders, “oh, if I could only get to you”. Yet almost immediately after in the chipper yet haunting “Chinatown”, Tatum testifies, “we're not happy till we're running away” Certainly such messages are inconsistent, but if the idea is to convey the excitement, anxiety, freedom, and trappings of trying to determine if you are better off alone or not, then he hits the mark. He concludes “Live in Dreams” by repeating, “we've got eyes in the back of our heads”- conveying that so much of what seems impossible to understand and act upon makes so much sense in hindsight. He may be caught up in nervous, adolescent, irrationality, but at least he realizes it. A nice touch.
Wild Nothing's talent and skill are readily apparent in Gemini- they are obviously equipped to handle the subject matter and tone they so effortlessly approach. But hearing so many other groups do it before them, for them even, saps much of the impact and implications from their work here. Regardless, Wild Nothing is a band I want to hear more of. The best parts of this album are when they break out of their shell and leave their own mark on indie rock. They just need to prove that there is something out there- in terms of melody, tone, and intent that they are uniquely equipped to harness. With more time and and a little more confidence I believe this band can produce something that does just that. I can't wait to hear it.
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