Duo This Wild Life may have started out heading down the pop-punk route but it was the change in direction to a more folky, acoustic sound that is the clear winner for Kevin Jordan and Anthony Del Grosso.
Their debut full length, Clouded, is the culmination of this effort – ten acoustic jams filled with honest storytelling and gorgeous musicianship. On paper, the tracks may seem long, not a single one dipping below three-and-a-half minutes, but it is the beauty of every moment that immerses you so far into the record that you barely even notice.
At its most basic, This Wild Life is Jordan’s floaty, soaring vocals and Del Grosso’s nimble guitar work – both of which are the clear standouts on this record. But it is the extra layers and the care and thought put into arrangements and storytelling that takes this two-piece far beyond a two-dudes-with-a-guitar project.
Whether it’s the strings section used in album opener Concrete, the upbeat toe-tapping catchiness of Bound to Break, the layered keys, choral harmonies and female vocals in Better With You or country-pop vibe of Looking Back, Clouded is an experiment in the depth and scope of acoustic music and just how much you can add to it.
The album also has plenty of moments of stripped back simplicity. Over It uses Jordan’s guitar work to its full potential while exploring the combination of both their vocals in harmonies. One of the album’s highlights comes in No More Bad Days. Telling the story of helping a loved one get back up after hitting rock bottom, its layered strings and keys, floating vocals and soft guitar work create one of the most delicately intricate moments on the record while still remaining simple and catchy.
This Wild Life will get pigeonholed as an acoustic act, but just one listen to Clouded will prove that this duo is so much more. At times the record is delicate and gentle, floating and soaring between its sections while at other times it is layered and rocky. The beauty here is that it isn’t ashamed or afraid to be both.
BY GLORIA BRANCATISANO
Best Track: No More Bad Days
If You Like These, You’ll Love This: THE EARLY NOVEMBER, DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL,
In A Word: Soaring
