Northern rocker Sam Wilde releases six-track indie rock EP About Right, comprised of six tracks full of enough rugged rawness to please the most avid of grunge fans.
At 23 minutes runtime, the About Right EP is just one song short of an album – the first big statement of many to come from this work. Sam Wilde’s newly released six-track is a confident expression of his honed musicianship, recorded at Greenmount Studio in Leeds and showcasing his eclectic selection of influences through an intelligent blend of grunge and Mancunian-guitar-band alt rock.
Kicking off the proceedings is “City of Bones”, a tremolo’d guitar-laden ode to messy British nightlife (as is my impression upon having listened intently to the lyrics upon third play) that can’t fail to grab one’s attention. Now that we’re gripped, “Give Up the Gun” takes us on a trip down Route 66 with a bluesy riff and heavy guitars, but this track is anything but a flashback to dad-rock, combined with tricky timings and 90s-style Brit-pop vocal delivery.
“In Your Head” is the third track on the EP, and one of the three singles that had been released prior to About Right. This is a sultry slow-burner, a song of burning desire, and a welcome breather after the hectic heaviness of “City of Bones” and “Give Up the Gun”. That is, until the final chorus, where vocals soar and guitars wail with appropriate regard for the subject matter.
Another track you may have heard prior to About Right‘s release is “On the Run”, another harking back to mid-90s grunge executed with an affection towards pop. Sing along at risk of your parents bursting into the room to turn the music down. This is followed up by “If You Stay”, a love-gone-wrong song done right. Minimal instrumentation in the first verse is contrasted by thick guitar tones and a hooky guitar riff worthy of Royal Blood’s envy, yet heartfelt and sincere lyricism bring a human sensitivity to the fore of the middle eight.
Sam has established his talent so securely by this point in my listening party, that he can do no wrong in the final song “I Found You”. Though unexpectedly sentimental and uplifting (given the EP’s general tone), there is still an underlying badassery that Sam must want us to realise comes naturally to him and his writing process. Something akin to what you might hear emerging from the indie tent at a mainstream festival, “I Found You” features a stunning wall of sound, comprised partly of reverb-drenched electric guitar.
This is a wonderfully epic ending to a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience that has taken us through dark and eerie streets to open highways, and has parked us at a drunken sunset with the friends we haven’t seen in months. Every song in this EP is pleasingly and thoughtfully constructed, with Sam Wilde’s immense stylistic identity and writing capability at the very forefront.
About Right EP is a must listen. Be sure to stay up to date with Sam Wilde on his social media links below.
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