Wake Owl
Wild Country EP
Vagrant Records [2013]
Fire Note Says: Wake Owl’s EP Wild Country leaves an incredible first impression, making the listener want more.
Album Review: Wake Owl’s EP, Wild Country, leaves an incredibly hopeful first impression. The band’s sound is mello and folksy, blending upbeat notes with country undertones. Wake Owl resonates with bands from Modest Mouse to Mumford and Sons, while remaining true to a sound all their own.
Starting with the song “Wild Country,” Wake Owl is slow and thoughtful, using notes that mimic country music and rhyme with southern culture. Picking up the pace, “You’ll Never Go” is faster and uses more rhythm. It is also a beautiful love song, singing of meadows and growing flowers and repeating “don’t you ever say you never loved somebody.”
One of the album’s best songs, and most popular to date, is “Gold.” This is a song to get excited about. With a sound similar to Mumford & Sons, the track is folksy and a bit sorrowful, blending slow moments with faster ones. An older demo version of “Gold” plays at the end of the EP.
Continuing with “Grow,” a similarly sorrowful song, the EP plays along with catchy rhythms, adding in a little rock & roll. The sampler ends with “Seaside,” a track that resembles the softness of “You’ll Never Go” and the thoughtfulness of “Wild Country.” “Seaside” also has a relaxing melody, resembling the ripples of a lake or the waves of the ocean; it’s light and uplifts the soul.
With Wild Country, Wake Owl has debuted a simply fantastic collection of songs. The album is soothing and enticing, leaving the listener wanting more.
Key Tracks: “You’ll Never Go”, “Gold”, “Grow”
Artists With Similar Fire: Broken Bells / The Decemberists / Mumford & Sons
Wake Owl Website
Wake Owl Facebook
Vagrant Records
-Reviewed by Michelle Morgan
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