Wild Nothing
Myspace || last.fm
Genre: Shoegaze / Glam / Indie Pop / Dream Pop
Similar artists: Memoryhouse, A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Beach House, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Radio Dept.
Wild Nothing is the solo project of Virginia born Jack Tatum, whose music is the product of an unhealthy obsession with nostalgia. Equal parts teenage wasteland and inexplicable regret, his songs are the kind that could only be made by the young at heart. Unlike the current herd of one-man bedroom bands, Tatum creates complex textural environments that aim for something higher. Melodies that yearn to stay with you.
Notes: Since I got hold on his newest release, Evertide EP, I thought a megapost was in order. For new listeners just trying out his stuff, check out his myspace first. I think this is the kind of music that's either totally your kind of thing, or totally not. I'm kind of in love with his cover of Kate Bush's Cloudbusting. Worthy to note: Jack Tatum is also in Facepaint. They have a free EP on their Myspace. They sound pretty darn different from Wild Nothing, so even if you're not into WN, try FP out. I like them both.
Gemini
Gemini finds Tatum constructing a striking, solitary monument to just about anyone who moped, sulked, or bedsat their way through the 1980s. His love of dreamy, fuzzy, handcrafted guitar-pop isn't far removed from the Radio Dept. or the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, but he displays a more comprehensive and widespread commitment to classic indie pop sounds. Revivalism notwithstanding, his craftsmanship is undeniable and the details are spot-on: Check the reflective bell tone in "Live in Dreams", the Cocteau Twins-like, artificial synth tom in "Drifter", and the Johnny Marr homage in the twinkly guitar fade-in that begins "Our Composition Book".
tracklist01 Live in Dreams
02 Summer Holiday
03 Drifter
04 Pessimist
05 O, Lilac
06 Bored Games
07 Confirmation
08 My Angel Lonely
09 The Witching Hour
10 Chinatown
11 Our Composition Book
12 Gemini
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Summer Holiday 7"
On Gemini standout "Summer Holiday", Tatum makes a slight songwriting detour, turning his (shoe)gaze to the sort of C86-indebted pop that like-minded revivalists the Pains of Being Pure at Heart worship. The strummy, Slumberland-sounding guitar chords are present and accounted for, as are the deceptively simple timekeeping and twin-guitar bridge breakdown that mark this particular strain of indie-pop. Tatum's lovelorn lyrical concerns fall in line nicely with twee's aims as well, as he warns a supposed crush not to "let me wreck myself again," before promising that he's "driving to your parents' house/ Just want to visit/ And I'm sleeping in your brother's bed." His later admittance that he really wants to "sneak into my room/ And crawl under the covers" further establishes a time-honored teenage sense of terror by way of complete retreat.
tracklist01 Summer Holiday
02 Vultures Like Lovers
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Cloudbusting 7"
This cover of Kate Bush's "Cloudbusting" sounds faithful to the point of outright deference. But instead of coming across as just another musically capable scenester ripping off already tired reference points, Tatum's bedroom dreamscapes sound more like a teenager sincerely trying to pay homage to the artists he most dearly regards.
tracklist01 Cloudbusting
02 Promise
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Evertide EP
Wild Nothing, aka Jack Tatum, has already brought us one of the years most startling and unique debut albums on 'Gemini'. Not one to rest on his laurels however he is breaking in brand new label Warmest Chord and releasing an incredibly limited edition EP called 'Evertide'. Comprising just three tracks, one solely available through the EP's physical release, this short collection again displays Wild Nothing's hushed and majestic tones to perfection.
tracklist01 Your Rabbit Feet
02 Golden Haze
03 Take Me In
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