Wilder Maker 'Male Models'

 

Latest album from New York band, Wilder Maker, out 29th July from Western Vinyl

The new album from trio Wilder Maker features an eclectic list of guest vocalists, combining with the sun-kissed soulful dripping indie rock that is on offer. Guests range from Adam Duritz (Counting Crows), Katie Von Schleicher and Felicia Douglass who each lend their vocals to another heartfelt folk laden composition married with Gabriel Birnbaum's insular narrative laden lyrics.

Male Models' inspiration is as eclectic as the sound it carries with influences ranging from novels to basketball and Thin Lizzy to positivity. The band comprises of frontman Birnbaum with long time collaborators Nick Jost and Sean Mullins, with the album being recorded live over several days. The overriding impression you get from the first listen is that this is an album for a vinyl listening party, something you put on in the background but every now and then you have to stop in your tracks because you are hearing something fresh, invigorating and hypnotic.

Birnbaum admits, 'I've been keeping an ever-expanding playlist of songs that I never want to skip. I wanted to make a record that sounded like a playlist in this way; it became a kind of songwriting challenge for me.'

The album succeeds in bringing that effervescence to your speakers with a balance of jam inspired soul and funk with pulsating indie rock that is reminiscent say of We Are Scientists but this really reminded me of a band called Video Age and their album 'Pleasure Line' while that had hints of yacht rock in it, that album and Male Models shares a strange sounding DNA and both had a summer release.

Latest release 'Static' is one of those such tracks featuring vocals by VV Lightbody; a jaunty jam of funk that marries summery vocals with a neat bassline.

'Silver Car' is a personal favourite of the band themselves and that features Katie Von Schleicher guesting and the album has these moments of calm amidst the fevered excitement elsewhere such as ballad 'Surfers Trace' which is sun-kissed and elegiac.

Following the global pandemic, there is a real sense that this big world did become a lot smaller as we all had to experience the change to our daily lives and routines. It forced us to reach out to those we may not ordinarily make contact with and provide support to those in less fortunate positions but also the chance for collaboration. 

Male Models is indicative of this sea change as music is made across zoom calls and ideas are shared frequently across continents and nations - the finished product fills you with a great sense of joy and pride that perhaps the good in humanity will win out as wars and corruption still appear in our society. This album speaks to the good in people and the light that shines in us all.

Male Models is out from Western Vinyl on 29th July.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.