Los Angeles rock outfit Wild Wing release their new album today, entitled New Futures. The album was recorded in Wild Wing’s studio, with the band handling all aspects of writing, engineering, and production.
Wild Wing is made up of four lifelong friends from the San Fernando Valley, who grew up playing in each other’s living rooms and garages. Eventually, the jam sessions turned into the real thing – a band. The four include: David Gantz, Max Garland, Zach Miller, and Theo Cohn.
New Futures is the band’s fourth record. And while their earlier sound reflects boisterous cow punk, on New Futures the band embarks in a new sonic direction – SoCal garage rock flavored with Americana and punk flavors, with dollops of alt-rock relish.
Comprising nine-tracks, the album begins with “Futures (Intro),” an eerie industrial-flavored instrumental tune, which transitions to “Momma’s Got A Brand New Bag” a bluesy country-rock number riding raw guitars, rumbling rhythmic elements, and twangy drawling vocals.
Highlights on the album include “Killing Joke,” which opens on searing, grinding guitars and a galloping cadence flowing into a punk melody imbued with country ingredients. “Ontario” rides a shuffling, shushing intro topped by twangy guitars seguing to a country-rock tune riding oozing, drawling guitars. Languid vocals infuse the tune with slow rustic colors reminiscent of a Leon Russell tune. Softly glowing background harmonies give the tune emerging radiance.
“Dark Ages” opens on surf-rock-flavored guitars shifting to a punk-lite alt-rock melody rife with rolling drum fills on a choppy rhythm. The feel and mood of the song conjures up visions of Amyl and the Sniffers covering a Dick Dale song, a combination of surf-bop and tight punk aromas.
“State of the Art” is reminiscent of The B-52’s upbeat sound merged with Husker Du and The Dead Kennedys. Stuttering guitars, rollicking drum beats, and a gleaming breakdown flowing into a Grand Funk Railroad-like harmonic flow makes the track unique, but excellent.
With New Futures, Wild Wing steps out into the heady realm of countrified punk-lite on a matrix of tasty alt-rock, resulting in a sound both original and contagious.
