WLDFLWRS' debut EP
Review
When I previewed WLDFLWRS' debut single "Best Company" for you a few weeks ago, I had yet to hear the rest of the tracks on their first EP & mused on what they might sound like, given the pooling of writing talents of the calibre of Wes Finch, Katherine Abbott, Jack Blackman & Jono Wright.
Out on December 22nd, as well as the single, you get "WLDFLWRS", "MXD MSSGE", "Waiting On You", "Heavy Weather" and "Sky/Ground" and you can even get the whole via a limited edition green vinyl form if you so fancy (the pre-order link is here: https://wldflwrs1.bandcamp.com/album/wildflowers-ep).The latter might even come with a special secret track not otherwise available. But I probably should not say more on that….. except that the vinyl is very green: in Jack's words "none more green".
The answer to my own question is that although identifying common ground probably was an important element in being able to make the most out of the talents available, I detected no trace of compromise artistically. Lesser artists could have settled for some sort of bland middle ground under the broad & infinitely flexible banner of "Americana": and given the regrettable amount of bandwagon jumping onto that particular vehicle in recent years, I'm not sure what that means any more. Instead, whether the songs were initiated by one of the collective or via group sessions, I get the impression that each person was happy to support what was on the table & pitch in with what they had to offer: regardless of formal "genre".
Jono did give me the background on the writing of "Best Company", but quite deliberately I didn't enquire regarding the other songs: I really don't want to delve too deeply into the process but concentrate upon the collective result. I know that a reviewer tends to pick over music minutely if allowed to, but sometimes, in the words of Tolkien "..he that breaks a thing to find out what it is made of has left the path of wisdom.." and I think this applies here. Suffice it to say that some alchemical interactions occurred and this is what the outcome was.
The result is six very different & distinctive songs which have been cunningly sequenced to keep you on your listening toes. The tone, tempo & volume oscillate throughout a play of the whole EP like a sine wave or a ride along an undulating rural road.
In fact, so triumphant is this vindication of their decision to work together in this way that the prime question is not whether it has artistic value, since it so obviously does, but how this communal composition relates to their other, solo work: given the intensely personal nature of their individual writing to date.
Of course each of the four writing voices come along with its literal one & the variety of vocals is integral in fuelling the variety. I'm not sure what criteria applied in each mind in selecting ideas for offering to the group: I'm sure that at least some vague idea of "this one would work for WLDFLWRS" must have applied, though in all honesty the theme of "Best Company" (of the joys of occasional solitude) seems fitted for a solo track & it's a testament to them that they made it work so well almost counter-intuitively.
If "WLDFLWRS" can be said to be the title track, I'm assuming that its creation was deliberate rather than developed from a pre-existing idea. That it so obviously tips its hat to The Band reinforces that notion given the inspiration of those players for the group's formation. Starting with a passage of a cappella harmonies is also an effective way to signal the communality & comradeship of the project. Since all of them tend to write songs which extol the virtues of nature & express preferences for spiritual & personal growth over materialism, I'm not surprised that they all seem so happy to have created this song. I suppose it might be their mission statement.
As with "Best Company", I must not get too far into the review without emphasising that the EP features more than just four people: Chris Quirk (the "Fifth Flower"?) is on drums and Adam Barry plays keyboards not just on the single but on "MXD MSSG" too. On "Heavy Weather" we have James Maguire on saxophone and Rob Spalton on trumpet to enjoy.
"MXD MSSG" (this band seem to either disdain vowels or at least be economising on their use) demonstrates nicely the diversity I mentioned above: coming after a pastoral track and one extolling cosy self companionship, we get something much heavier. If Keats could potentially have written the lyrics of the opening two songs, he'd have been a bit taken aback by the theme & even the strength of language in this one. Leaning heavily on the blues love within the band, this one channels the likes of Free at times or even our own Dirt Road Band's lyrical interests. I'd guess that this one was at least partially pre-written & then the others decided they could work with it: it certainly offers a breadth of repertoire counterpoint to what's gone before on the EP.
"Waiting On You" then takes some of the upbeat and electric approach of the previous song but instead takes a more clipped & funky route: lighter maybe in tone but like "MXD MSSG" expressing a certain frustration with an unnamed party. Both, consistent with the apparent overall positivist philosophy of WLDFLWRS, try & steer the lyrics towards "more in sorrow than in anger" but neither compromises any sense of disappointment with behaviours of others to extent of diminution of personal integrity.
"Heavy Weather", with the aforementioned brass section is a slide guitar led blues: swampy and with that New Orleans feel, its many climatic metaphors for aspects of relationships serve also as reminders of Katrina & the havoc she laid on that city. Allen Toussaint would have appreciated this one: as did I. The diversity on display on this EP really is rich. It's a bit like a gumbo in fact.
EP closer "Sky/Ground" goes somewhere else altogether: with Katherine taking on lead vocals (and the song very much sounds as if it was originated by her), it's much more in the English folk tradition with a non-standard guitar tuning and her trademark transcendence approach (the title sends a strong signal doesn't it?). One might perhaps view the sequence of the EP as a journey, starting maybe in Stratford upon Avon, crossing the Atlantic & returning home to finish.
While I was enjoying these songs & drafting my thoughts, Doug Armstrong, the co-founder of Stratford's Street Arts Project which drew these musicians together in the first place, passed away. Here is not the place for a full tribute to Doug but plans are in place to do that via other aspects of what we do. In the meantime, we can only imagine the impact upon these artists: he was their mentor, inspiration & friend. I'm pleased at least that he heard their music: he was hugely supportive of them. I suppose that many of you will feel a degree of poignancy listening to the EP which would not have been intended by WLDFLWRS originally. That's understandable but the songs, as we have seen, fall into various emotional categories, some lending themselves to that sort of processing, but others being far too joyful, and I think Doug would want us to focus on that side quite as much, if not more.
My hat off too to Sara Huxley for the artwork: she was responsible for that of the single too.
