The Wilder Blue: Self-Titled
Just in time for the bluebonnets in Texas to pop, so does The Wilder Blue’s self-titled sophomore album. This sonically crisp ear candy makes the listener wonder if Badfinger and Alabama didn’t have a pandemic love child. The Wilder Blue is refreshingly classic while maintaining the group’s hard-fought originality.
Photo by Cal & Aly
The five-piece band, comprised of solo artist and songwriter Zane Williams, songwriter and talented guitarist Paul Eason, Lyndon Hughes (former drummer and vocalist for Roger Creager), Austin bassist Sean Rodriguez, and multi-instrumentalist Andy Rogers, self-produced the album with engineer Matt Pence (The Lord Baltimores, Shakey Graves) at Echo Lab Studios in Denton, TX.
“Having studio time paid for by our fans gave us the chance to relax and spread out a little,” explains Williams about the recording process for The Wilder Blue. Doing a few days at a time every few months allowed the band to experiment in the studio and hone the sound they wanted. “The five of us were able to sit together this time around,” adds Rogers, as many of the songs were recorded directly to tape.
The band’s togetherness is unmistakable in the nostalgic, dirt road-peeling lead song “Picket Fences.” Hughes chops wood on a sultry 70’s disco beat in “Feelin’ the Miles” that any road-weary lover can understand. Opulent harmonies paint the picture of what might be waiting at home on satin sheets. Ethereal, foot-stomping, feel-goods pervade “The Ghost of Lincoln” as the boys once more try to make it home safely after “learning what it means to be alive.”
If you’re lucky enough to attend any of The Wilder Blue’s live shows, you’ll find them just as precise and on-point as recorded on “Build Your Wings.” The same goes for William’s semi-truck driving skills, captaining the band’s oversized rig into and out of venues across the country himself. Similarly, “The Conversation” inspires the listener to two-step to a Smokey and the Bandit inspired mix of The Eagles and The Beatles. Are you ready to hit the road yet?
Find out more about The Wilder Blue below:
