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Wanderwild is the project of singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Matt Martin. An Athens, GA music veteran, he cut his teeth playing and producing for numerous Athens bands such as Dana Swimmer, Uncle Dad, and White Violet. His debut EP, 'Fleeting', manages to balance pop, rock, indie and folk tendencies, with an equal emphasis on songwriting and production. The record captures an immediacy that echoes bands like Death Cab For Cutie and The National, while engaging the warmth and pop-sensibilities of Feist and Bon Iver. Martin is, with a few exceptions, the sole curator and contributor to his six-song debut. He seeks a three-dimensional approach to music that embraces the entirety of the creative process, and it shows.
'Fleeting' is compelling from top to bottom, with a dynamic range and lyrical quality that can only be achieved through careful attention to detail. At moments, the EP is bustling and driving, with steady, building elements that push the listener into an explosive sonic space. At others, the EP is tender and intimate, feeling more like a back porch performance than an orchestrated composition of sound. Lyrically, Martin explores the nature of the human condition. Typical themes of love and loss are present, but are supplemented by undertones that speak to issues of existence, intention and purpose. The songs were recorded throughout the first half of 2015 at his then home in Athens - a renovated farmhouse that was built in the late 1800's. Mixing duties were shared by Martin, Neal Warner, and Henry Barbe at Chase Park Transduction, an Athens staple that is responsible for fostering recordings by bands such as REM, Animal Collective and Deerhunter. As a result, the recrod is balanced, engaging, and vibrant. It provides an earnest and honest foundation, and alludes to a dynamic and promising future for the project.
- Genre
- Indie Pop