The Wildhouse have long been one of my favourite bands to go and see, and i think they're criminally overlooked in favour of a lot of extremely dull and formulaic crap. Their previous recording 'Ficca' didn't really do the live experience justice and i wasn't sure if they'd be able to sum up the chaos and confusion of their newer material into something that'd stand up to repeated listens. Happily though, it makes even more sense to me on record.
I've never really written a review of anything before, but this album totally merits it and is as good a place as any to start. (I'll try and avoid lazy "This sounds like Sonic Youth finding Elvis dead on the toilet" (which, interestingly, it kinda does) style comparisons).
...imagine it's just after the nuclear holocaust, and everyone's dead apart from all the best bands, and while they wait, drunk with shock, for their inevitable demise from radiation poisoning they improvise a freeform hymn to the failure of humanity on broken musical equipment, in what may or may not have once been a jungle. That's what this album sounds like to me. Feedback oscilates wildy, the guitars snarl, squeal and chime over ominous marching drums, melody lines twist and dive, wrap around each other then fall apart. The vocals are like sinister nursery rhymes, full of dissapointment and resignation, but dignified to the last. This album contains 2 of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard, but naming them would be unfair to the others so I'll leave it to you to buy a copy and pick your own favourite hits. This probably reads like complete Andy G brown nose fest but i dont care, i really really really like this band and this album makes absolute perfect sense. And you should buy it.
selections from, but not necessarily reflections of, the album can be enjoyed on
www.myspace.com/thewildhouse
www.wildhouse.info
LinkBacks (?)
Linear Mode
