Wildernesses released debut album Growth on March 27 through Floodlit Recordings.
Opener Sleepless is a five minute atmospheric instrumental which gives an insight into the varying states of mental health, from the calming opening to the more bustling sound as it builds in intensity, which could signify the whirling thoughts.
I love how Happy Hollow’s guitar line at the start continues on from Sleepless. The lyrics are simple and repetitive but it’s a nice listen, and as a carer, I do relate to some of them, with the crux of the lyrics about what he wants to do (I’ve never really been a fan of the X Files so I don’t relate to that bit, but I can relate to wanting to just be alone and binge watch something, which is something you rarely get a chance to do as a carer.
[dread]’s instrumentation is rapid and does translate well to how it can feel during an anxiety attack.
Four Hour Drive has a more uptempo instrumentation and focuses on family, responsibility and the inherited ‘hauntings’. It was inspired by a photo of vocalist Philip Morris’ dad and grandad.
The album is a personal one for Morris as it centres around the experiences he’s faced as a mental health professional in the NHS and his own experiences after his mum’s MS diagnosis which saw him step away from music for a while. It’s oddly therapeutic listening to Growth as I relate to a lot of the content.
The instrumentation fits really well for the mental image of what is being described, and is extremely atmospheric, while Morris’ vocals are soothing and beautiful.
