Reviews

Wandering Hearts – ‘Wild Silence’ Review by Liam Lewis

February 8, 2018February 8, 2018 Nick Cantwell album review, wandering hearts, wild silence

The Wandering Hearts have had an incredible story leading up to the release of their debut album. The quartet being discovered just 26 minutes after uploading their first demo onto Soundcloud! An incredible feat for any artist. November of last year saw the release of their debut EP ‘Burning Bridges’ which was followed by a number of great live shows. This has led to broadcasting legend Bob Harris presenting the group with his infamous emerging artist award at the UK Americana Awards on the 1^st February.

The album is an interesting piece of work which transcends many genres. The Americana base, littered with country storytelling, smooth pop and folk melodies expertly coupled with beautiful vocal harmonies, will have you yearning to hear more from the group whose musical knowledge and dedication to their art, leads to an incredibly impressive debut piece of work.

The album begins with the immediate earworm guitar of ‘Rattle’. The upbeat tempo setting the tone for the progression of the album. Following this is the groups debut single, ‘I wish I could’. A perfect display of the group’s ability to mould incredible songwriting and story telling with a catchy feel good melody. ‘Fire and Water’ continues the upbeat tempo that has me nodding my head as I am writing this. The pop influences are evident throughout this track and I cannot help but think that this would make a perfect single for the group.

‘If I were to fall’ slows the pace of the album a little and begins to highlight the impressive lyrical and vocal abilities of the group. The harmonies coupled with powerful lyrics make this both a relaxing and heart wrenching song that would surely sound incredible live. ‘Change for the Good’ begins to increase the tempo of the album once again. The country influences clearly shining through on this track. ‘Devil’ which has been released as a single, is a great mid-point for the album. A great mix of harmonies with an upbeat track and memorable lyrics, this track is a highlight of the album.

The title track ‘Wild Silence’ explores the connection the group have created since posting their initial demo. “We met almost serendipitously two years ago and since then, we have built a deep, often unspoken connection and understanding of one another.” A perfect title track to describe the bond the group have gained in their short rise to success. ‘Laid in the Ground’ and ‘Burning Bridges’ continue the impressive harmonies and begin the path to the end of the album.

‘Heartbreak Hotel’ is my personal favourite track on the album. The chorus perfectly produced to highlight the pop melody coupled with lyrics such as “My heart aches, I’ve got to escape this heartbreak hotel.” To complete the incredible piece of work is ‘Iona’ a great choice to end the album. Ending with an upbeat track leads to feeling a sense of joy and accomplishment.

To say I am impressed by this debut is an understatement. The group have a talent for producing tracks that transcend genres, and although some may not be a fan of this, the group’s ability to utilise many genres to create tracks that are heartfelt and powerfully strong sonically, and lyrically, is a rare talent. An incredible debut for a group with a highly promising career ahead.

Rating: 4.8/5

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