West Ends – wild/kind
Release Date: January 25th, 2019
Track Listing:
1. Best Friend’s Dad
2. Paper Cuts
3. Hey! Listen!
4. Strangers
5. Belle v. Sebastian
6. A Writer: a Liar
7. Message/Timing
8. You Know Me
9. Yr Running
10. (God Damn) The Sea
West Ends is naturally an unassuming album. Named after the location of the band’s conception, West Ends is the debut of Vancouver-based pop rock group wild/kind, consisting of Natalie Glubb, Johnny LaRusic, Lindsay Partin, and Justin Penney. Every track on West Ends rings out earnestly, without asking for anything except discovery.
“We hear the news say / another venue's shuttering / windows to / a younger culture,” LaRusic sings on opener “Best Friend’s Dad” – “Bring the pipelines / connect them to the mayor's ear / their condos / and hip replacements.” They make the same astute references that most Vancouver bands do, but without the overstated flair. Instead, it’s delivered in a conversational tone, casually and indifferently, like they have been thoroughly desensitized to these issues. This is the same prosaic language that spans their other tracks, each metaphor aimless but inviting. At times, they have Tumblr-worthy quotes: “Every page we turn's / another paper cut to dodge” in “Paper Cuts,” or “the problem's not the message it's the timing” in “Message/Timing.” It sounds relatable, universal, but also inherently personal at the same time.
By incorporating bass guitars and synthesizers, the album evokes an old-school 2000s pop rock vibe. The opening track starts off loaded with traditional guitar riffs and thematic instrumentation, before taking a slight change in pace with "A Writer: a Liar" and duet “Belle v. Sebastian.” wild/kind’s full-volume sound is upbeat, restless, and youthful, breeding nostalgia for dopey hooks and simple guitar lines. LaRusic's voice also has a hearty richness in his timbre and it really shines through in high-energy tracks like “Hey! Listen!” This is complemented by a polished percussion section, rising with conviction as it builds to the climax.
West Ends brings a throwback sound that plays effortlessly. The album's instrumentation and lyricism present a generic narrative, but it’s a revitalized, contemporary version that is easy for listeners to sink into.
