Wilson Minds 'I Am We Are' - ALBUM REVIEW

Wilson Minds released their debut LP ‘I Am We Are’, last month – an album full of experimental Western-American influences that flirts with a dark-rock-blues theme.

Album opener ‘Dance ‘Til Morning Comes’ incorporates a bluesy spin on the modern day sinister guitar theme. Thrown out the window are the ideas of following the synthy, shoe gazing crowd. Instead, Wilson Minds have created a dark, twisted genre of their own; sprinkling this particular song with heavy elements of the deep west. The ‘deep west’ theme continues through ‘Face It Cracks’ as Paul Wilkes snarls ‘your face it cracks / it doesn’t smile’, shortly followed by a Liam Gallagher-esque roar that rips through the atmosphere. Pummelling head-first through track three, ‘Just Say Something’, Wilson Minds start to make their mark through their use of notoriously swinging guitar riffs, assorted with diabolically haunting, crashing symbols.

On a more mellow note, Wilkes’ voice bubbles with emotion over the chinking melody of ‘Merry Go Train’ , creating a perfect, dark American rock vibe. On the second half of the album, the tempo drops dramatically, creating a more mature and sophisticated listener experience. ‘I Got The Soul’ is definitely a highlight, with its powerful rock guitar riffs rippling the surface, and a bass line that drives the song into oblivion.

Although final track, ‘Seen It All’, isn’t the dramatic ending one may expect, a hidden un-named track (sounding eerily similar to Adele’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’) seems the perfect finale. As a gently plucked acoustic guitar lies under the passionate lead vocals that cry heart-break, it is easily the most beautiful work penned for this album.

‘I Am, We Are’ is a debut album from a band that have so much more promise than they have let on. With each song filled with a raw emotion that artists find hard to capture in their music alone, it’s fair to say this band have landed.

Ella Scott

https://soundcloud.com/wilsonminds/my-feelings