Review Summary: For better and for worse, the band finally deviates into some much needed uncharted territory.
For years, Explosions in the Sky have accomplished nothing but stagnation under their established post rock sound. Save a few masterful albums, they had to tweak their sound a bit if they wanted to stay relevant in their genre. For better and for worse, they finally did it. Instead of utilizing the same formula again, they decided to think outside of the box and make an anomaly in their discography. Granted, most of the songs are very unfocused and need improvements in the songwriting department, but everything is undeniably well done. Dreamy, pop influenced and at times quite ambient,
The Wilderness proves a welcome and much-needed 180 to their mostly tried and true discography. Many will definitely not appreciate its unfocused nature, but if given a chance this collection of different styles warrants plenty of enjoyment.
When it comes to new styles for the band,
The Wilderness strangely wanders all over the place. Quite a bit of the songs on here turn out to be something entirely different by the end. “Logic of a Dream” resides in the scatterbrained category because of its eerie first half and soothing second half. Driven by brooding drums, ominous ambience and atmospheric guitar work, the first half surprisingly chills to the bone. It’s essentially something that could fit in nicely on a Swans album. As a standalone song and one owned by Explosions in the Sky in general, this part reveals to be incredible, but it abruptly halts to a beautiful acoustic session. Both sections impress, but as one song it’s certainly awkward. Lead single “Disintegration Anxiety” veers into completely different territory and it’s even more notable here because of how it directly succeeds “Logic of a Dream.” It’s essentially driven by well-executed poppy riffs and fuzzy sounding drums. Both songs get stuck in your head because they’re both memorable, but for different reasons.
Along with the occasionally eerie vibe, there exists a strong ambient presence on some of the songs. “Wilderness” functions in the same uplifting vein as “Disintegration Anxiety,” but the song introduces the band’s emphasis on ambience this time around. The thrilling rhythm section and soaring textures pave the way here. It makes for a truly warm feeling inside and the touching guitar tone that closes out the song is a homely touch. In “Losing the Light,” imagine these concepts, but in a much subtler light. In addition to quiet electronic drumming and various noises, strings and piano are the dominant presence. It’s a song that requires a fair amount of patience to appreciate, but for what it is it’s expertly delivered. “Landing Cliffs” closes out the album on an impressive note due to its vast atmospheric scope. The lush tremolo guitar riff and engulfing ambient terrain create powerful imagery in that light. It’s the perfect sunset song and an ideal closer for this album.
Pop styles also reside in the scatterbrained track listing, with “Tangle Formations” and “Infinite Orbit” serving as prime examples of this. Explosions in the Sky have always been one of the most accessible post rock bands, but it’s so refreshing to hear them embrace other styles in “Tangle Formations” and accomplish it with flying colors. Underneath the fuzzy drumming sound, catchy piano melody and engaging textures reveals a sound that’d feel right at home on a pop record if it had vocals. “Infinite Orbit” is equally memorable for all the same reasons, but the flaw here that it really should have been longer.
For what everything is on this record, it’s brilliant. The problem happens to be how unfocused in nature everything is. The band insisted on constantly shifting gears from track to track. It can go from creepy to downright soothing even in the same track and that’s only one track. They play everything very well, but there’s a sense that many of the tracks don’t necessarily build to a satisfying payoff among the admirable pop performances. All flaws aside,
The Wilderness sees the band deviating into some much-needed uncharted territory here. They really need to build upon styles seen in “Logic of a Dream” and “Wilderness.” Not only this, but stick with them to provide a more grounded experience. Aside from its undeniably scatterbrained nature, it’s thankfully one of the most engaging records in their discography.
